Yesterday, President Joe Biden gave an address at the United Nations, historic because it was the last time he’ll ever address that body. (You know, unless he steals the nomination back from Kamala Harris, or unless the UN decides to hire him as entertainment in an upcoming year.)
The speech he gave was soaring at times, as he talked about everything he’s seen and done in his 50 years of public service, and the moment the world finds itself in today. He talked about Ukraine and Gaza and China and AI. He talked about climate change. He talked about his administration’s accomplishments. And toward the end, he talked about the thing everybody knew, which was that he had stepped aside from seeking a second term this summer, when it became apparent that his chances of beating Donald Trump weren’t where he or anybody else wanted them to be.
Those are the kinds of moments when Joe Biden shines. It was especially remarkable considering the audience of world leaders that was listening to him. And though it obviously wasn’t part of Kamala Harris’s political campaign, it could have been a commercial for why the United States needs to turn the page on Donald Trump and never hear his voice or see his face again.
Here is what Joe Biden said in that moment, per the official transcript:
This summer, I faced a decision whether to seek a second term as president. It was a difficult decision. Being president has been the honor of my life. There is so much more I want to get done. But as much as I love the job, I love my country more. I decided, after 50 years of public service, it’s time for a new generation of leadership to take my nation forward.
My fellow leaders, let us never forget, some things are more important than staying in power. It’s your people — (applause) — it’s your people that matter the most.
Never forget, we are here to serve the people, not the other way around. Because the future will be — the future will be won by those who unleash the full potential of their people to breathe free, to think freely, to innovate, to educate, to live and love openly without fear.
That’s the soul of democracy. It does not belong to any one country.
Some things are more important than staying in power. He said it to the room, and he said it to every autocrat on the globe, and every wannabe autocrat.
Speaking of wannabe autocrats, the same day Biden delivered that speech, Trump was delivering an “economic” speech where Trump didn’t talk much about economics, but he did bitch and moan that he didn’t get to be a dictator like Xi in China. Also that the debate was rigged. Also that he did the best debate in the history of rigged debates. And whined that Kamala Harris told lies about “Charlottestown.” And said Marjorie Taylor Greene is “highly respected.”
Also during his “economic” speech, Trump got the crowd to boo Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and his voice took on a truly evil tone as he slurped the length of Vladimir Putin’s grundle and salivated over the prospect of Russia winning that war.
We’ll give you the transcript in all caps, because you need to understand how viciously angry Trump was about Joe Biden and Kamala Harris trying to help our ally win a war it didn’t ask for, against a delusional dictator who invaded and seized its sovereign territory, and continues to kidnap, rape and murder its children. We guess when that delusional dictator is like Taylor Swift to you, and also your patron, it’s personal.
“BIDEN AND KAMALA GOT US INTO THIS WAR IN UKRAINE, AND NOW THEY CAN’T GET US OUT, THEY CAN’T GET US OUT.
“I WATCHED HIM ‘WE WILL WIN, WE WILL WIN.’ HE’S BEEN SAYING THAT FOR THREE YEARS? […]
“BUT WE’RE STUCK IN THAT WAR UNLESS I’M PRESIDENT, I’LL GET IT DONE, I’LL GET IT NEGOTIATED, I’LL GET OUT, WE GOTTA GET OUT.
“BIDEN SAYS ‘WE WILL NOT LEAVE UNTIL WE WIN,’ WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY WINNNNNNN?
“THAT’S WHAT THEY DO, IS THEY FIGHT WARS. AS SOMEBODY TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY, THEY BEAT HITLER, THEY BEAT NAPOLEON …”
After that Trump just about came on himself because Hungarian dictator Viktor Orban endorsed him.
Yes, there was a contrast between Joe Biden at the UN and Donald Trump in Savannah talking “economics.”
[transcript / videos via Rupar / Acyn]
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Let us not forget the time the UN General Assembly laughed in Trump’s face while he lied to them.
From the speech transcript:
𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭, 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝.
You will be missed, Joe Biden.