Joe Biden warns ‘these are dark days’ for Democracy under Trump, urges Americans to ‘get back up’
Joe Biden warned US is in “dark days” under President Trump and urged Americans to stay engaged in defending democracy. Speaking in Boston after completing radiation treatment for aggressive prostate cancer, the former president called for resilience and praised those standing up for free speech.
Former US President Joe Biden urged Americans not to disengage from democracy, warning that the nation is facing “dark days” under President Donald Trump. Speaking publicly for the first time since completing radiation therapy for an aggressive form of prostate cancer, Biden addressed an audience in Boston on Sunday after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.
“These are dark days”
Biden, 82, said the country is seeing “attacks on free speech” and tests of the limits of presidential power.
“Friends, I can’t sugar coat any of this. These are dark days,” Biden said. He added that America has long stood for an idea “stronger than any army” and “more powerful than any dictator.”
He emphasized that the nation relies on “a presidency with limited power, a functioning Congress and an autonomous judiciary,” systems he suggested are under strain as the federal government endures a historic shutdown.
Standing up against pressure
Biden praised Americans who are resisting pressure from the current administration, including public servants and cultural voices.
“The late night hosts continue to shine a light on free speech knowing their careers are on the line,” he said. He also noted Republican officials “who vote or openly go against the Trump administration.”
“America is not a fairy tale,” Biden said. “For 250 years, it’s been a constant push and pull, an existential struggle between peril and possibility.”
A message of resilience
Despite the challenges he cited, Biden ended on a hopeful note.
“We will find our true compass again,” he told the crowd, predicting the country will “emerge as we always have — stronger, wiser and more resilient, more just, so long as we keep the faith.” He concluded by encouraging Americans to “get back up.”
Health concerns
The speech comes months after Biden dropped his reelection bid following concerns about his age, health and mental fitness. His office announced in May that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. His Gleason score was reported as 9, indicating highly aggressive disease.
Biden left office in January after serving one term. Then Vice President Kamala Harris launched a campaign to replace him but ultimately lost to Trump in November.
(With AP inputs)