President Biden on Friday delivered a ferocious condemnation of Donald J. Trump, his likely 2024 opponent, warning in searing language that the former president had directed an insurrection and would aim to undo the nation’s bedrock democracy if he returned to power.

On the eve of the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Mr. Trump’s supporters, Mr. Biden framed the coming election as a choice between a candidate devoted to upholding America’s centuries-old ideals and a chaos agent willing to discard them for his personal benefit.

“There’s no confusion about who Trump is or what he intends to do,” Mr. Biden warned in a speech at a community college not far from Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, where George Washington commanded troops during the Revolutionary War. Exhorting supporters to prepare to vote this fall, he said: “We all know who Donald Trump is. The question is: Who are we?”

In an intensely personal address that at one point nearly led Mr. Biden to curse Mr. Trump by name, the president compared his rival to foreign autocrats who rule by fiat and lies. He said Mr. Trump had failed the basic test of American leaders, to trust the people to choose their elected officials and abide by their decisions.

“We must be clear,” Mr. Biden said. “Democracy is on the ballot. Your freedom is on the ballot.”

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  • @jwt
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    135 months ago

    Not sure what point you’re trying to make. Back then they couldn’t be pro-insurrectionist and pro-Britain; you can’t be pro-something you want to revolt against.

    • MacN'Cheezus
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      -145 months ago

      The point is that being American is being anti-government.

      • @jwt
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        25 months ago

        Weird how it’s been going on for a quarter of a millennium then.

        • MacN'Cheezus
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          05 months ago

          Yes, and all without any major incidents like assassinations or revolution attempts either /s

          • @jwt
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            15 months ago

            Are you still making blanket statements about ‘being American’? Because you make it sound like Americans are a bunch of failing losers with your last statement if you are.

      • @[email protected]
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        25 months ago

        You need to learn more about the Boston tea party. Being American originally meant being anti-corporatism. And Trump is definitely pro-corporatism.

        • MacN'Cheezus
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          -25 months ago

          Right, that’s why every major corporation out there has been donating to his campaign.

          Oh wait…

          • @[email protected]
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            15 months ago

            Super PACs big dog. Citizens United. You have no idea who they’re buying. Free speech baby!