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By Thomas O. Falk
The speech on September 1 was Joe Biden's most direct speech to date. Facing the realistic danger that American democracy could crumble in half, he appealed to his country's soul and ushered in a paradigm shift unusual for his long-lasting political career: a goodbye to the idea of catering to both sides of the aisle.
Biden said he had come to Philadelphia's Independence Hall "to speak as clearly as I can about the threat we face, the power we hold in our own hands to face that threat, and the incredible future that lies ahead if we only choose it."
The threat Biden referred to was not caused by a foreign adversary or domestic terrorists, but by the Republican Party in its current state, or rather, the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement that has been dictating the party's course and ushered in its transformation ever since Trump came into office in 2016.
And the threat this GOP poses is nothing short of the disintegration of American democracy in the center. This is not politically laden rhetoric but a realistic scenario these days; America has arguably not been this divided since the Civil War.
The primary culprit of these developments remains Donald Trump. Although he no longer occupies the White House, he continues to have a firm grip on the GOP and its agenda. While he resides in Mar-a-Lago, MAGA members of congress continue to do his bidding in Washington (and beyond), whether it's via peddling "the Big Lie" or by accusing Democrats of being "corrupt" and "taking away the country." No chance is missed to pour fuel on the fire whenever possible – as most recently seen after the FBI raid on Trump's home, which led MAGA Republicans to – inter alia – accuse Democrats of "Stasi methods" and worse.
Those who held brief hopes that with Trump's departure, America would return to normalcy quite swiftly faced a rude awakening. Instead, without the remaining constraints of the presidential office, Trump has been a loose cannon since, using his voice to create further division and, indeed, political instability.
"Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic," Biden said during his speech. It is an accurate statement. What has been happening to Republican politics can rightfully be labelled as extremist.
A party that applauds Trump's continued destruction of America's democracy, particularly in a two-party system, is a severe threat, and this threat shakes the republic to its very core. The Grand Old Party is "dominated, led and intimidated" by Trump, as Biden aptly put it, without demonizing every Republican or constituents – even if the right-wing echo chamber naturally tried to twist Biden's words as an attack on all Republican voters.
Americans can choose between looking to the future or obsessing over the past, between a functioning political system or a severe form of tribal extremism that has the potential to end the American project. Biden has now broken away from the idea that he had basically stood for during his entire political life: that it was possible to find bipartisan compromises and that an American president should embrace everyone.
But the current reality and the danger that Trump and the MAGA movement represent are forcing Biden to put his cards on the table. Moreover – and this is becoming apparent again amidst the FBI investigation against Trump and the blatant threats of violence from his supporters – a significant part of America is no longer reachable for Biden.
Hence the binary choice that Biden's speech laid out. Gone are the days when he, admittedly naively, spoke of unity and the healing of the country under his leadership. His decision can be criticized, but given the dire situation America is finding itself in, there was no alternative.However, there's also a downside to this, namely that Biden essentially eradicates the middle with his approach, thus exacerbating the divide further between left and right.
Nonetheless, business, as usual, is no longer a coherent modus operandi. In fact, it would only help the GOP's extremist elements in light of the looming midterms and a presidential election in 2024 in which – undoubtedly – Trump will run again.
An American president will never be able to reach everyone. However, considering that over 70 million Americans witnessed the Trump presidency and somehow thought an encore, a second term, was warranted, means that Biden has his work cut out for himself. Failure is not an option, or else the United States will not be united much longer.
Thomas O. Falk is a London-based political analyst and commentator. He holds a Master of Arts in international relations from the University of Birmingham and specializes in U.S. affairs.
