President Biden Delivers Speech About Democracy Ahead of Midterms

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, Nov. 2, just six days before the midterm elections, President Joe Biden delivered a speech about the threats to democracy at an event hosted by the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C. Biden began the speech by describing the horrific, politically motivated attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). “My fellow Americans, we are facing a defining moment, an inflection point,” Biden stated early on in the speech. “We must, with one overwhelming unified voice, speak as a country to say there’s no place for voter intimidation or political violence in America.”

Less than a week before Election Day, Biden applauded the record high turnout in early voting across the country. He also urged the country to be “patient,” reminding the audience that some states do not begin counting ballots until after the polls close, meaning certain election results will not be known until days later. 

This speech comes almost exactly two months after addressing similar topics during a speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In both speeches, Biden called the American people to unite, condemn political violence and choose democracy over lies. During Wednesday’s speech, Biden specifically noted the widespread number of election deniers on Americans’ ballots this year, framing this election as a choice determining the survival of democracy. He criticized candidates who won’t commit to accepting the results of their races and reiterated a line he said in Philadelphia: “You can’t love your country only when you win.”