WaPo editorial board says Biden’s ‘MAGA’ speech 'fell short’: 'demeaning' to 'conservatives of goodwill'
The Post criticized the 'scolding' and 'partisan' tone of Biden's speech attacking Republicans
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Washington Post Editorial Board published a piece Friday arguing that Biden’s "MAGA Republican" speech was too "partisan" and too harsh on well-meaning Americans.
The board claimed that Biden’s speech "fell short" of uniting the country and came off as "scolding or demeaning" to good Republicans that otherwise could be persuaded into abandoning former President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
The editorial opened by acknowledging that the premise of Biden’s speech – that "MAGA Republicans" are a threat to democracy – was true. "Indeed, democracy is under assault in the United States. Rallying to its defense is an urgent task, and it does the nation no service to pretend that this is a problem of bipartisan dimensions," the board wrote, adding a quote from Biden.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic," Biden claimed at his Thursday night primetime speech.
The piece, however, noted that Biden faced a challenge on getting the tone of his speech right. It stated, "The difficult, perhaps insurmountable, challenge that Mr. Biden confronted — just eight weeks before midterm elections that will determine the future course of his presidency — was how to convey the message of defending democracy in a way that summons patriotism rather than partisanship."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Washington Post Editorial board criticized Biden's speech on Friday, claiming it "fell short" of uniting the country. ((Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images))
Though the board admitted Biden failed here, writing, "Here, as much as we agree with the president about the urgency of the issue, is where he fell short, too often sounding more like a Democrat than a democrat."
Washington Post columnist Henry Olsen made a similar claim in his Friday column about the speech, writing that Biden "disregarded that distinction" between his "public role" as chief executive for the entire nation, and his political role as an advocate for his party’s agenda.
Olsen wrote that Biden "gave what was essentially a Democratic campaign speech during an official White House effort, complete with Marine guards standing ominously in the background. Casually ignoring a bipartisan democratic norm in a speech ostensibly devoted to protecting democracy dials chutzpah up to 11."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The editorial board piece continued to lecture Biden: "You don’t persuade people by scolding or demeaning them, but that’s how the president’s speech landed for many conservatives of goodwill."
"Mr. Biden was wrong to conflate upholding the rule of law with his own partisan agenda, which he called ‘the work of democracy,’" the editorial added. It pushed back against the president’s absolutist stance, writing, "You can be for democracy but against the president’s policy proposals to use government to lower prescription-drug prices and combat climate change."
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on what he calls the "continued battle for the Soul of the Nation" in front of Independence Hall at Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, U.S., September 1, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (Reuters)
It then slammed Biden for claiming that "MAGA forces" are pushing for the end of the right to abortion in his speech, saying, "But many conservatives — not just ‘MAGA forces’ — agree with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Post noted that Biden missed opportunities to tout his recent bipartisan successes. "It was disappointing that Mr. Biden chose to omit that the infrastructure, gun-control and burn-pits legislation he praised had passed with Republican votes."
It then blasted Biden for coming down hard on the MAGA movement while his party has also supported MAGA candidates in their recent primaries as a way to cull their preferred opposition in midterm races. "Moreover, Mr. Biden’s clarion call for democracy would carry more credibility if he were willing to call out his own party for its cynical effort to elevate some of the same ‘MAGA Republicans’ he now warns will destroy democracy if they prevail in the general election," it said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}All in all, the board concluded, "We offer these critiques of the president because we agree with him about the stakes involved" – those stakes being "that Mr. Trump could again be his party’s nominee in 2024."
The Washington Post Editorial Board criticized the "scolding" tone of President Biden's Thursday speech against "MAGA Republicans." (iStock)