Biden Says ‘Not Confident’ of Peaceful US Election

AFP/APP

Washington: President Joe Biden expressed concerns on Friday regarding the potential for a peaceful U.S. election in November, highlighting incendiary remarks made by Republican contender Donald Trump, who continues to deny his 2020 defeat.

Biden’s warning reflects growing unease among lawmakers and analysts about the increasingly aggressive language in campaign rhetoric as the election approaches.

Trump, who survived an assassination attempt in July and another plot in September, has alleged widespread fraud following his loss to Biden, leading to a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol spurred by his false claims.

“I’m confident it will be free and fair. I don’t know whether it will be peaceful,” Biden told reporters, addressing concerns about the election. “The things that Trump has said and the things that he said last time out when he didn’t like the outcome of the election were very dangerous.”

Trump was impeached in 2021 for inciting the insurrection, during which hundreds of his supporters, motivated by the defeated Republican’s call to “fight like hell,” attacked police, smashed windows, and breached the Capitol.

Trump faces multiple indictments, including accusations of attempting to subvert the election through a “private criminal effort” that led to the Capitol violence. He is scheduled to return to Butler, Pennsylvania, the site of his first assassination attempt, on Saturday, amidst ongoing criticism of his inflammatory rhetoric.

Biden made his comments during his first-ever appearance in the White House briefing room as president, while Vice President Kamala Harris is actively campaigning against Trump. Both Trump and Harris are currently rallying in key battleground states critical for determining the next presidential election.

In North Carolina, Trump reiterated his claims of 2020 voter fraud, stating, “We should get elected, but remember this, they cheat like hell.”

He also campaigned in Georgia, a pivotal state that narrowly went to Biden in 2020 but was won by Trump in 2016. Since his loss, Trump has been heavily involved in Georgia politics, pushing for state officials to “find” enough votes to overturn Biden’s victory. He has been charged with racketeering in Georgia, with the case expected to resume after the election.

On Friday, Trump joined Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp for a briefing on the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, the deadliest storm to strike the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

He has repeatedly spread misinformation regarding the federal response to the disaster, falsely claiming that relief funds have been misappropriated by Harris and redirected to migrants.

Harris, who is neck-and-neck with Trump in all seven swing states, campaigned in Michigan, a stronghold for union voters that reflects the decline of U.S. manufacturing in the 1980s. She accused Trump of jeopardizing Michigan auto jobs, asserting, “This is a man who has only ever fought for himself. This is a man who has been a union buster his entire career.”

During a rally in Flint, a majority Black city that suffered from a lead-tainted water crisis, Harris labeled Trump “one of the biggest losers of manufacturing jobs in American history.” She reminded attendees that the election is just a month away, with early voting already underway in several states.

“Folks, the election is here. And we need to energize, organize, and mobilize,” Harris urged. The campaign also announced that former President Barack Obama, the country’s first Black president, will campaign for her in Pennsylvania and other swing states starting next week as she aims to connect with undecided voters across the U.S. heartland.