President Joe Biden blasted former President Donald Trump and the so-called ‘MAGA Republicans‘ at a Broadway fundraiser Monday night, claiming they are ‘determined to destroy American democracy’ and ‘bow down’ to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The president is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly but also used his time in the Big Apple to raise funds for his 2024 reelection campaign.
Biden joined first lady Jill Biden onstage at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre at the conclusion of an event that featured Broadway greats including Josh Groban, Ben Platt, Sarah Bareilles, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Andrew Rannells and more.
The first couple were played on to the zippy tune, All That Jazz, from the musical Chicago.
The 80-year-old president then hammered his likely general election competitor, warning those in the audience what a second Trump term could mean.
Cameras were not allowed into Broadway for Biden that took place at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre Monday night, but there was a large billboard posted outside
President Joe Biden arrives in New York Sunday night ahead of the U.N. General Assembly and participated in fundraisers Monday night
Marine One is captured Sunday night landing at the Wall Street landing zone as President Joe Biden arrives in New York for the U.N. General Assembly and a fundraising spree
‘I’m running because democracy is at stake. Because [in] 2024 democracy is on the ballot once again. And let there be no question, Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans are determined to destroy American democracy,’ Biden said. ‘And I will always defend, protect and fight for our democracy.’
The fired up president recalled how he had planned to stay retired from politics but changed his mind after Trump seemed to equate neo-Nazis, KKK members and other white supremacists who marched in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017 to the counter-protesters who confronted them.
He spoke about how democracy was at stake in the 2020 race.
‘And thank God because of people like you, we won,’ the president said. ‘And I might add, we won convincingly, clearly, without question by seven million votes.’
Biden boasted that his win stood firm after ’60 legal court challenges and an insurrection on January the sixth.’
‘So now I’m running again,’ the 80-year-old president said. ‘You may have noticed, a lot of people seem focused on my age. Well I get it. Believe me. I know better than anyone,’ Biden said to laughs.
‘I’m running because – hear this – I want the entire nation to join me in sending the strongest, clearest, most powerful message possible that political violence in America is never, never, never acceptable,’ the president also said.
He touted how he was able to ‘rally the world’ around Ukraine – and pushed that electing Trump again could let that backslide.
‘I will not side with dictators like Putin. Maybe Trump and his MAGA friends can bow down but I won’t …’ the president said.
Biden also challenged Trump’s doomsday rhetoric about the country’s current state.
‘I don’t believe America is a dark, negative nation, a nation of carnage driven by anger, fear and revenge. Donald Trump does,’ Biden said.
‘To his supporters he says, “I am your retribution.” I am your retribution?’ the president asked. ‘”We’re a failing nation,” he says. “Either they win or we win and they win we no longer have a country.” Did you ever hear the president of the United States speak like that?’
‘Well, I believe we are hopeful optimistic nation driven by a simple proposition that everybody deserves a fair shot, just a shot,’ Biden said.
The president exited to West Side Story’s Tonight.
Because the event was a fundraiser, cameras were not allowed in the room to capture the president’s speech.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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