Latinos a key electoral target for Biden and Trump in November vote (File)
President Joe Biden called his Republican challenger Donald Trump a major threat to American democracy in an interview aired on the main Spanish-language U.S. television network on Tuesday.
Asked by Univision in the Oval Office what he considered “the major threat to freedom and democracy at home,” Biden said: “Donald Trump. Seriously.”
Biden cited Trump’s support for the rioters who forced their way into the Capitol on January 6, 2021, causing “destruction and chaos” in an attempt to reverse a loss to Biden two months ago.
Trump has praised what he calls “patriots” on January 6 at the center of his current campaign and said if elected in November he would pardon hundreds of people jailed for crimes including assaulting police officers and sedition. people.
Biden pointed to congressional testimony that Trump watched the riot for hours on live television from the White House but made no attempt to intervene.
“He would sit in his office … and watch the attack on the Capitol for hours,” Biden said, adding that Trump “used phrases like you’re going … to abrogate the Constitution.” Phrases like that, and he will be a dictator from day one.”
“I can’t think of any other time in my lifetime, in history, where anyone has had this attitude,” Biden said.
Trump described the United States as “failed” and suffering an invasion of violent immigrants and said only his return to the White House could save the country.
Although initially nearly universally condemned by Republicans for the Capitol attack and refusal to accept the 2020 election results, Trump has since regained near-total dominance of the party, with polls showing him tied with Biden Competition is fierce.
The Univision interview was a rare one-on-one interview for Biden, who has taken questions from reporters in this format far less often than other recent presidents.
Latinos are a key electoral target for both Biden and Trump in the November vote, and Univision is the country’s leading Hispanic media company.
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