When Vice-President Mike Pence spoke on the third night of the RNC last week and proclaimed that we won't be safe in Joe Biden's America, my reaction was "we aren't safe in Donald Trump's America."
Biden's speech this afternoon in Pittsburgh asked Americans, "Do you really feel safe under Donald Trump?"
I'm certainly not going to take any credit for the content of Biden's speech because I'm sure he and his campaign team have heard the same variation of "we aren't safe in Donald Trump's America" in conversations with voters, supporters and elected officials both in person and online during and following the RNC. I'm just grateful that Biden listened and provided some measure of calm and reassurance in his rebuke of Trump today:
Do you really feel safe under Donald Trump? Mr. Trump, you want to talk about fear? Do you know what people are afraid of in America? Afraid they’re going to get COVID. They’re afraid they’re going to get sick and die. And that is in no small part because of you. We’re now on track to more than 200,000 deaths in this country due to COVID. More than 100,000 seniors have lost their lives to the virus.
More cops have died from COVID this year than have been killed on patrol. Nearly one in six small businesses have closed in this country today. Do you really feel safer under Trump? What about Trump’s plan to destroy the Affordable Care Act, and with it, the protections for preexisting conditions that impacts more than 100 million Americans? Does that make you feel safer?
Or how about Trump’s plan to defund social security? The social security administration’s chief actuary just released a report saying that if a plan like the one Trump is proposing goes into effect, the social security trust fund would be, and I quote, “Permanently depleted by the middle of calendar year 2023, with no ability to pay benefits thereafter.” To put it plainly, Trump’s plan with wipe out social security period. Do you feel safer and more secure now?
The fear that reigns under this president doesn’t stop at our shores. The Kremlin has put bounties on the heads of American soldiers. And instead of telling Vladimir Putin that there’d be no putting up with this, that there’d be a heavy price to pay if they dare touch an American soldier, this president doesn’t even bring up the subject in his multiple phone calls with Putin. It’s been reported that Russian forces just attacked American troops in Syria, injuring our service members. Did you hear the president say a single word? Did he lift one finger? Never before has an American president played such a subservient role to a Russian leader. It’s not only dangerous, it’s humiliating and embarrassing for the rest of the world to see, it weakens us. Not even American troops can feel safer under Trump.
As long as President Trump insists that he is the candidate of law and order then Joe Biden must ask Americans, "Do you really feel safe under Donald Trump?" As long as President Trump defends or makes excuses for murder and other acts of violence committed by his supporters then Joe Biden must ask Americans, "Do you really feel safe under Donald Trump?" As long as President Trump promotes phony cures, undermines testing or attempts a herd immunity strategy then Joe Biden must ask, "Do you really feel safe under Donald Trump?"
"Do you really feel safe under Donald Trump?" might be the best question posed by a presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan asked Americans 40 years ago, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
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