Biden to America: don’t vote for chaos
WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden has warned US voters that the future of democracy is at stake in next week’s midterms, with the steadfast refusal of some Republican candidates to accept election results opening a “path to chaos in America”.
With conservatives hammering his administration over the state of the economy, the 79-year-old Democrat took aim squarely at Republicans who have cast their lot with former president Donald Trump in denying Mr Biden’s 2020 election victory.
“There are candidates running for every level of office in America … who won’t commit to accepting the results of the elections they’re in,” Mr Biden said in a televised address to the nation.
Their goal, he said, was to follow Mr Trump’s lead and try to “subvert the electoral system itself” – noting there are more than 300 Republican election deniers contesting the midterm elections.
“They’ve emboldened violence and intimidation of voters and election officials,” the President said – less than two years after Trump supporters ransacked the US Capitol to try to overturn the 2020 result.
“That is the path to chaos in America,” he said. “It’s unprecedented. It’s unlawful. And it is un-American.”
His dire warning of threats to democracy comes six days ahead of Tuesday’s vote, in which Republicans are heavily favoured to take control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate as well.
After a violent attack on the husband of the Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which heightened concerns about heated political rhetoric, Mr Biden urged Americans to unite in defence of democracy.
“We must with an overwhelming voice to stand against political violence and voter intimidation, period,” he said. “We have to face this problem. We can’t pretend it’s just going to solve itself.”
But nearly 22 months after the Capitol riot, polls show voters are more concerned with the economy.