WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is sounding an alarm Thursday night about what he views as “extremist” threats to American democracy from the restive forces of Trumpism. He’s aiming to reframe the November elections as part of an unceasing battle for the “soul of the nation.”

Nearly two years after he defeated Donald Trump, it’s a reprise of Biden’s 2020 campaign theme, casting the midterm election stakes in as dire terms as those that sent him to the Oval Office. His prime-time speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia will lay out what he sees as the risks from those he has dubbed “ultra-MAGA Republicans” to the nation’s system of government, its standing abroad and its citizens’ way of life.

The explicit effort by Biden to marginalize Trump and and his “Make America Great Again” adherents marks a sharp turn for the president, who preached his desire to bring about national unity in his Inaugural address. White House officials said it reflects his mounting concern about Trump conservatives’ ideological proposals and 2020 election denialism.

“MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards,” Biden is saying, according to prepared remarks released by the White House. “Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.”

“For a long time, we’ve reassured ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed. But it is not,” Biden says. “We have to defend it. Protect it. Stand up for it. Each and every one of us.”

Biden, who largely avoided even referring to “the former guy” by name during his first year in office, has grown increasingly vocal in calling out Trump personally. Now, emboldened by his party’s recent legislative wins and wary of Trump’s return to the headlines, Biden is sharpening his attacks.

Trump plans a rally this weekend in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden’s birthplace.

At a Democratic fundraiser last week, Biden likened the “MAGA philosophy” to “semi-fascism.”

In Philadelphia, White House officials said, Biden intended to hark back to the 2017 white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he says brought him out of political retirement to challenge Trump. Biden argues that the country faces a similar crossroads in the coming months.

“The president thinks that there is an extremist threat to our democracy,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday. “It’s not stopping. It’s continuing.”

Biden allies stress that he is not rejecting the entirety of the GOP and is calling on traditional Republicans to join him in condemning Trump and his followers. It’s a balancing act, given that more than 74 million people voted for Trump in 2020.

“I respect conservative Republicans,” Biden said last week. “I don’t respect these MAGA Republicans.”

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy dismissed any such distinction, accusing the president of trying to “disparage hard-working Americans.” He was delivering a preemptive rebuttal to Biden from Scranton Thursday evening.

In remarks earlier on Fox News, McCarthy said Biden was “trying to distract from the disaster that he’s created in this country.”

A senior White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to preview Biden’s remarks, said the president’s speech wasn’t aimed at one politician or the GOP as a whole, but rather the Trump supporters who deny the 2020 election results and sow doubt about future contests. The official said that Biden would acknowledge the importance of political disagreements in a country as diverse as the U.S., but draw a line at rhetoric and actions that call into question the health of the country’s democracy.

The official said Biden aimed to speak “not as a Democratic president, but as a president of a democracy.”

Larry Diamond, an expert on democracy and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said calling Trump out for attacks on democracy “can be manipulated or framed as being partisan. And if you don’t call it out, you are shrinking from an important challenge in the defense of democracy.”

Even this week, Trump was posting on his beleaguered social media platform about overturning the 2020 election results and holding a new presidential election, which would violate the Constitution.

Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian at New York University, said it’s not unusual for there to be tension between a president and his successor, but it’s “unprecedented for a former president to be actively trying to undermine the U.S. Constitution.”

“The challenge that President Biden faces is to get on with his agenda while still doing what he needs to uphold the Constitution,” Naftali said. “That’s not easy.”

The White House has tried to keep Biden removed from the legal and political maelstrom surrounding the Department of Justice’s discovery of classified documents in Trump’s Florida home. Still, Biden has taken advantage of some Republicans’ quick condemnation of federal law enforcement.

“You can’t be pro-law enforcement and pro-insurrection,” Biden said Tuesday in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.

Biden’s appearance Thursday night was promoted as an official, taxpayer-funded event, a mark of how the president views defeating the Trump agenda as much as a policy aim as a political one. The major broadcast television networks were not expected to carry the address live.

Biden’s trip to Philadelphia is just one of his three to the state within a week, a sign of Pennsylvania’s importance in the midterms, with competitive Senate and governor’s races. However, neither Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democrats’ Senate nominee, nor Attorney General Josh Shapiro, their pick for governor, was expected to attend Thursday night.

The White House intended the speech to unite familiar themes: holding out bipartisan legislative wins on guns and infrastructure as evidence that democracies “can deliver,” pushing back on GOP policies on guns and abortion that Biden says are out of step with most people’s views, and rejecting efforts to undermine confidence in the nation’s election or diminish its standing abroad.

The challenges have only increased since the tumult surrounding the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Lies surrounding that presidential race have triggered harassment and death threats against state and local election officials and new restrictions on mail voting in Republican-dominated states. County election officials have faced pressure to ban the use of voting equipment, efforts generated by conspiracy theories that voting machines were somehow manipulated to steal the election.

Candidates who dispute Trump’s loss have been inspired to run for state and local election posts, promising to restore integrity to a system that has been undermined by false claims.

There is no evidence of any widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines. Judges, including ones appointed by Trump, dismissed dozens of lawsuits filed after the election, and Trump’s own attorney general called the claims bogus. Yet Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling has shown about two-thirds of Republicans say they do not think Biden was legitimately elected president.

This year, election officials face not only the continuing threat of foreign interference but also ransomware, politically motivated hackers and insider threats. Over the past year, security breaches have been reported at a small number of local election offices in which authorities are investigating whether office staff improperly accessed or provided improper access to sensitive voting technology.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will deliver a prime-time address “on the continued battle for the soul of the nation” Thursday outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the White House announced Monday.

Billed as a major address just over two months before the midterm elections, Biden, the White House said, will discuss how the nation’s standing in the world and its democracy are at stake.

“He will talk about the progress we have made as a nation to protect our democracy, but how our rights and freedoms are still under attack,” the White House said. “And he will make clear who is fighting for those rights, fighting for those freedoms, and fighting for our democracy.”

Biden has increasingly sought to portray the November elections as a choice for voters between “ultra-MAGA Republicans” — a reference to former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan — and Democrats. He told supporters last week that they had “to vote to literally save democracy once again” — and labeled some Republican ideology as “semi-fascism.”

NBC News was first to report on Biden’s plans for the address.

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“We cannot stride with confidence toward the future without honoring lessons learned, community leaders, and contributors that paved the path to where we are today. Many mayors and councils came before us, but they have passed the leadership of this city to us. People may not realize how valuable our town is until we, ourselves, tell the story.

Everything we are and have accomplished is because we worked for it.

Thank you for the incredible honor and privilege of presenting my second state of the city presentation.

I extend thanks to my colleagues who continue to demonstrate their passion for our community, and thanks to the Hemet City staff who work tirelessly to make sure that our residents and stakeholders get top notch service.

Most importantly, I thank the residents of Hemet.

All of you who choose to run a business here, live here, and shop here—you are what make this community great.

We are committed to collaboration, endurance, and hard work.

Just think of the businesses that have weathered tough times here in the city.

I immediately am reminded of Steer-n-Stein. Throughout the economic downturn, restaurants like Applebee’s and Sizzler opened and closed, but Steer’n’Stein remained—much like many of our city’s thriving businesses. In light of that, we recently launched the Mayor’s Business Advisory Group and had our first meeting last month. The whole idea is to work with businesses through their issues to help them toward success. A lot of challenges came to our attention in just one meeting, and I am excited to work alongside our city’s businesses to grow our economy. It isn’t always about the success for us at this point, it is more about welcoming those who need help. I am happy to report that La Michoacana Victoria recently opened after being a part of our Advisory Group; and although we didn’t have a chance to meet Tacos N Beer, at the Advisory Group, I have personally dined there, and highly recommend their restaurant. Thank you again, for choosing Hemet.

We have seen incredible growth in just one year, and our staff has worked diligently to ensure that we can sustain long-term success through budget solvency, and efficient service delivery.

This past June, the council adopted a completely balanced budget, maintaining the city’s 20% reserve for emergencies and maintaining the current service levels.

You, the community, are a vital part of this process. The Hemet City Council extends our sincere appreciation for your confidence and trust in us to steward the funds openly and honestly.

When Measure (U) was passed, the Council fully committed the funds to public safety, and with that, both the Fire and Police Departments committed to bolstering their manpower; their technology; and overall improving service to the community… I don’t know about you all, but the people that serve in these two forces make me so proud to be a part of the Hemet City Team. Thank you, Police and Fire, for all that you do to keep our community safe. We are committed to doing all that we can to maintain the safety of you all who run toward danger while we take cover.

With the inception of Measure U funding, Hemet Fire Department has been able to improve emergency response by adding 6 additional employees who encompass a full medic squad, and 3 fire captains that contribute to the fully staffed Station 5 that serves East Hemet. The Department’s response times continue to improve, with its current time for a unit to arrive on scene being 8 minutes from when the call is placed.

Our 109-year-old Fire Department responded to 16,510 calls for service in 2018! They rendered emergency medical service to 14,000 people; responded to 552 fires; dispatched to 1,818 non-emergency calls; and, were on the frontlines of EVERY MAJOR FIRE INCIDENT in California!   In the coming year, Measure U will fund modern breathing apparatus, protective equipment, a call taker, and a fire truck!

Last year Measure U funded 6 additional Police Department staff members, including 2 Dispatchers and 2 Community Service Officers. This year, three new vehicle requests, a radio system replacement, and two public safety operators will be funded. It is clear that our continued investment helps the Department, because in this past year, crime continued its downward trend, as the department focused its effort toward community engagement.” 

The mayor then went on to thank McCrometer as a staple in our community, while guests dined on the excellent breakfast prepared and served by HSJC’s own pastry chef/food connoisseur Allysun the Uhmayzing of madamconfection, and Destination Coffee Bar owner Nick Yepremian.  The mayor also went on to site other businesses:

“More than 65 years ago, the Hemet Valley Medical Center opened.

Over 90 years ago, the Ramona Bowl premiered its first season.

And almost 100 years ago, the Hemet Theatre premiered its first showing.

These iconic staples of our community have stood the test of time, served thousands of patrons, and still maintained their character, their mission and goals, and their home here in Hemet.

We are proud to be home to McCrometer and many other long-standing businesses.

Thank you for choosing Hemet.”

Ms. Wright went on to say:

“(The) City Clerk’s Office has improved both transparency and efficiency by streamlining agenda management workflow, improving Public Records Act requests, adding useful information on the City website for residents, and developing a retention schedule and records management manual.

Our Administrative and Legal staff have continued to survey outdated protocols and policies that we haven’t revisited in years, and a lot of records in multiple departments are getting transferred to digital databases for public access. 
As we adopt new processes and fine tune the current ones, it is important to acknowledge that growth and change are challenging. I want to be intentional about allowing a moment for us all to be proud of choosing to embrace change. Hemet is opening the doors to innovation, diversity in thought and opinion; it is through this collective process, that Hemet will continue to grow into a thriving Riverside County community.

It has been a long time coming, but we are definitely moving forward.

It is impossible to look behind us and not be confident in what lies ahead for our community. As your Mayor, and Council Member, I want to encourage you to use the lessons from our past to succeed in the future—that is what this team is committed to doing. We will continue to position ourselves to engage our residents, businesses, and neighbors as we grow.

I encourage you to get out into the city, visit the shops that have chosen to serve our community, and recognize that more and more businesses are finding the value in our city. I am incredibly excited for what is on the horizon for Hemet. There will be challenges but there will also be successes. Together we will work through them for positive outcomes.

Before going, I would like to thank both Madam Confection and (the) Destination Café for making the delicious meal this morning.”

The Hemet-San Jacinto Chronicle appreciates the time and transparency show by the Mayor and City Council in meeting with our staff.

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