Biden attended his third fundraiser event of the day in New York City at the home of Maureen White and Steve Rattner, where he spoke on Trump, Charlottesville, immigration, and the modern Republican party. He presented his speech to a room of 50 people that gathered in a large living room painted a seafoam green with ornate molding, with Robert De Niro in attendance. The president’s voice was quiet at first, but he was later given a microphone to amplify his words.
The speech was heavily focused on former President Trump, and his criticism on his opponent in the 2024 presidential election.
“Name me a president who has encouraged or condoned political violence… in the United States?” said Biden.
In regards to the National Security Agreement, which President Biden is currently fighting to pass a bill in order to mitigate the migrant problem in the US, he explained how Trump is attempting currently to influence politics.
“Trump decided that it was something that would help me and hurt him. To take away an issue. So what did he do? … He got on the phone and called people and said, ‘if you do this there will be retribution.’”
The former president is asking the GOP to oppose this bill, and Biden used Senator James Lankford, who was the top Republican negotiator on the failed border security bill, as an example of how people in Congress are already facing retribution.
“They really threw the man overboard,” said Biden. The Senator has spoken about how the GOP has threatened to ‘destroy’ him.
The president also spoke about the current state of international affairs and the US on the world stage.
“We are an essential nation. We really are,” Biden said.
He proceeded to ask what would happen if the United States stepped away from these pressing international issues.
“What happens? What happens in the Middle East? What happens with the … the Taiwan Strait? What happens in Asia? What happens with Ukraine?”
Biden even mentioned Putin during his string of questions.
“He is on the balls of his heels and what are we doing? Stepping back? Stepping back?” said Biden.
Biden left it up to the fundraising audience to decide.
