Joe Biden has cautioned that his successor Donald Trump may attempt to “steal” the upcoming midterm elections, delivering the warning during a rare public appearance.
Speaking in South Carolina while receiving recognition for his lifetime in public service, Biden said the United States is facing “dark days”, in remarks delivered only hours before the Trump administration initiated military strikes against Iran.
Reviving a theme from the 2020 campaign in which he defeated Trump and ended his first presidency, Biden told the audience at the Columbia Museum of Art on Friday that the “battle for the soul of this nation is one that’s never really over”. He also criticized Trump’s proposal to introduce stricter voting requirements ahead of the midterm elections.
“Here’s the good news,” Biden continued. “In America, the power still belongs to the people for now. And the way to show the power is vote, show up and vote. And folks, when we do that, that’s bad news for Donald Trump, and he knows it.
“That’s why he’s trying to pull out more and more barriers – put them up. He’s trying to steal the election, because he knows he can’t win your vote, so he’s going to do everything he can to prevent you from wanting to vote.”
Biden, 83, has kept a relatively low profile since leaving office and receiving treatment for an aggressive form of prostate cancer. He did not discuss his health during Friday’s remarks, instead focusing criticism on Trump’s recent State of the Union speech and an immigration crackdown during which federal agents fatally shot US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January.
“He doesn’t mention Renee Good, Alex Pretti … [or] offer even a word of solace to their families,” Biden said.
Biden also pointed out that Trump didn’t “offer a word of support, even recognition” in his address for the victims connected to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who reportedly died in federal custody in 2019. Trump had been among Epstein’s many high-profile associates in earlier years.
The speech came as Trump’s approval ratings remain historically weak. Polling earlier in February indicated that a majority of Americans disapprove of his performance in office, while another national survey found that most adults believe the country is heading in the wrong direction under his leadership.
Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race after a widely criticized debate performance in June of that year. He endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris as his preferred successor, but Trump ultimately defeated her in the general election and returned to the White House.
