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On Friday, President Joe Biden shared his apprehensions about the November elections, suggesting that the possibility of a calm voting atmosphere seems slim. He attributed this unease to the provocative comments from Republican candidate Donald Trump, who still challenges the legitimacy of his loss in the 2020 race.
Biden’s caution was echoed by lawmakers and analysts alike, who expressed growing alarm over the escalating aggressive rhetoric in campaigns as the election draws near.
Trump, who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in July and faced another suspected plot in September, has claimed rampant fraud following his loss to Biden in 2020. His unfounded allegations incited pro-Trump rioters, who subsequently stormed the Capitol.
“I’m confident it will be free and fair. I don’t know whether it will be peaceful,” Biden told reporters as he discussed the election.
“The things that Trump has said and the things that he said last time out when he didn’t like the outcome of the election were very dangerous.”
In 2021, Trump was impeached for inciting an insurrection after urging hundreds of his supporters to “fight like hell.” The crowd subsequently assaulted police officers, vandalizing windows and breaking down doors at the Capitol.
Read also: Why Joe Biden Was Spotted Wearing Trump’s MAGA Cap
Prosecutors have indicted him for what they describe as a “disguised criminal campaign” intended to thwart the election, culminating in the violent events that followed.
“When all else had failed,” the indictment reads, Trump directed an “angry crowd” to disrupt the certification of the vote.
Trump — who is due to return to the venue of his first assassination bid in Butler, Pennsylvania this weekend — has long been assailed over his violent rhetoric.
Making his first appearance in the White House briefing room as president, Biden joined the criticism, showcasing the Democrats’ accomplishments while his vice president, Kamala Harris, prepares to take on Trump.
Trump campaigned in Georgia on Friday, a battleground state that Biden narrowly won in the last election but which Trump claimed in 2016. As one of the most sought-after prizes in the 2024 election, Georgia is critical for both candidates.
