In a campaign reception hosted at a private residence in San Francisco on Wednesday, President Biden departed from his typically measured rhetoric, characterizing Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “crazy SOB” and expressing concern over what he perceives as the erosion of moral principles within the Republican Party.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, seated prominently in the front row, received accolades from Biden, who affectionately referred to her as the “boss” and credited her leadership for facilitating the passage of significant legislation. “She is the best Speaker of the House I think there has ever been. Thank God she was mostly on our side.”
Reflecting on a time when bipartisan collaboration was more prevalent, Biden pointed to the influence of former President Trump on the GOP, suggesting a departure from what he regards as the “American moral center.” He criticized the current trajectory of the Republican Party, particularly its alignment with Trump’s ideology, citing a perceived deficit of moral clarity within the MAGA movement.
“I’ve never quite seen a crowd like this MAGA Republican crowd. They seem to have very little, sort of, a moral compass on what is important to people,” said Biden.
Addressing the guests, Biden remarked on Trump’s comparison of himself to Alexei Navalny, expressing incredulity at such a notion. “If I stood here 10 to 15 years ago and said all this, you’d all think I should be committed.”
Biden concluded with a plea for continued Democratic success in future elections, emphasizing, “not only to make sure we keep the White House” so Trump can’t undo much of what was done, but “we got to win the House and Senate.”
