While in Europe, President Joe Biden is cautioning about the perils of democracy and the evils of totalitarianism. Back home, the presumed Republican nominee Donald Trump is plotting retaliation against Russian President Vladimir Putin, destroying US elections, and requesting a favor from him.
The former president is advancing the argument of his opponent for president in 2024, which is that the West is facing unprecedented challenges to the rule of law from both internal and external adversaries.
However, Trump’s strength also raises the possibility that many Americans may overlook Biden’s main point of the trip, which is to pay tribute to one of former President Ronald Reagan’s greatest addresses on Friday at Normandy. In every speech and public event, the former president demonstrates how powerful the rhetoric of extremism, the demonization of outsiders, and demagoguery are today—just as they were before World War II.
Western leaders have used the D-Day invasion’s 80th anniversary celebrations as a springboard to warn of the rise of political extremism’s deadliest elements. The invasion led to the liberation of Europe. Additionally, they have compared Adolf Hitler’s blitzkrieg to Putin’s ferocious attack on Ukraine during their meetings and speeches.
A contemporary US president visiting Europe to remind people of their shared heritage of triumphing against oppression is nothing new. But since his predecessor attempted to undermine democracy in order to retain power, no other commander in chief has taken such an action. An menacing shadow has been put over the trip by the prospect that Biden may not win reelection and the risk that the upheaval that Trump brought onto his European partners will return.
At Pointe du Hoc, Biden intends to make a powerful statement by drawing comparisons between Trump’s policies and the legacy of Ronald Reagan. He’ll say that Trump’s “America First” policy, assaults on election integrity, and anti-immigrant rhetoric are similar to the threats Reagan foresaw, implying that they are reminiscent of the factors that precipitated world war.
Can the Gipper give Biden the victory?
Biden is asking Americans to summon the same dedication to democratic values as the greatest generation, whose last representatives are already slipping away. Biden is almost definitely the last US president to have been born during World War II. Surrounded by the graves of almost nine thousand Americans, Biden said on Thursday, “In memory of those who fought here, died here, and literally saved the world here, let us be worthy of their sacrifice.” “Let us be the generation that, in 10, 20, 30, 50, or 80 years, when history is written about our time, it will say, ‘When the moment came, we met the moment.'” We maintained our position. Our coalitions became more robust. Additionally, we preserved democracy during our era.
The fact that a president needs to make such a case demonstrates how the political landscape has changed since Reagan, 40 years ago, stood in that same location and brought tears to many’s eyes by addressing veterans and exclaiming, “These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.” The men that climbed the cliffs are these ones. These are the heroes who contributed to a continent’s freedom. These warriors contributed to the victory in a war.
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Reagan’s embrace of internationalism and democracy in the GOP gave way to Trump’s isolationism and populism, which is more in line with Putin than with the traditional friends of the US. Though Biden’s Reaganesque speech is unlikely to win over Trump’s base, it is intended to win over disgruntled national security Republicans and supporters of Nikki Haley who value hawkish foreign policy above Trump’s strategy. Even though Haley had previously supported Trump, her support for Biden’s worldview may persuade some Republicans to abandon Trump’s autocratic approach.
Trump is back on the campaign trail
Coinciding with Biden’s trip to Europe is his predecessor’s return to the campaign road after he was found guilty of a crime last week in a New York hush money trial. Trump used this as his opportunity to provide Putin, an alleged war criminal whom he bowed to while in office, his most recent opening. The likely Republican nominee emphasized that he would be able to release an American journalist who was detained.
In a video that was uploaded to Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump declared, “Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who is being held by Russia, will be released almost immediately after the election.” “But he’ll be home and safe before I take over the office, I promise.” The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, will take care of that for me, and I don’t think he will take care of anyone else.
This was by no means the first attempt by Trump to show off his unique sway over Putin. After all, regarding the topic of Kremlin election meddling, he had already stated at a Helsinki press conference that he trusted the Russian leader standing next to him more than the US intelligence services he oversaw.
It was noteworthy that Trump had politicized the Gershkovich case since it followed months of subdued US government efforts to release the reporter and another American prisoner, former Marine Paul Whelan. It creates the chance that the Russians will just try to sway any negotiations under the pretense that Trump would offer them a better deal or that the Biden administration might be willing to pay more in order to win the election. If the reporter was subsequently released by the Kremlin to Trump, it would guarantee that he owes Moscow money and may be a coup for him.
As Biden calls Putin a despot, Trump’s recent outreach to Putin aligns with Russia’s isolation due to its actions in Ukraine. In contrast to Biden’s efforts to address border issues, Trump’s campaign event highlighted well-known themes of electoral fraud and anti-immigrant rhetoric. The rule of law is threatened by Trump’s implied use of presidential power against opponents and his unwillingness to guarantee acceptance of election results. Trump’s emphasis on immigration and economic issues in contrast to Biden’s cautions about his opponent’s dictatorial tendencies could determine the outcome of the election.