President Joe Biden previewed his 2024 election pitch to young Black voters Saturday in commencement remarks at a Howard University graduation ceremony in Washington, DC, articulating his vision of a “future for all Americans,”
Biden’s speech to graduates of the historically Black university had deep political undertones, and he reiterated to graduates that the work to “redeem the soul of the nation” continues, a phrase he uses often to contrast himself with his predecessor, Donald Trump, who is seeking a return to the White House next year.
“We can finally resolve those ongoing questions about who we are as a nation – that puts the strength of our diversity at the center. A future for all Americans, a future I see you leading,” Biden told the graduates at the Capital One Arena.
Though Biden did not name the former president, Trump’s legacy, rhetoric and policies hung over his remarks. Biden recalled his decision to run for office again amid the horror following the 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia, riots, and Trump’s “famous quote” that there were “very fine people on both sides.”
“Fearless progress toward justice often means ferocious pushback of the oldest and the most sinister of forces. That’s because hate never goes away,” the president said.
“It only hides under the rocks. And when it’s given oxygen, it comes out from under that rock,” he said. “That’s why we know this truth as well: Silence is complicity. It cannot remain silent.”
The campaign-style speech came less than a month after Biden announced his bid for a second term as a potential debt default looms and his administration braces for an expected surge in migrant border crossings following the expiration of the Title 42 border policy.
Black voters remain a key part of the Democratic Party coalition. A drop in…
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