Biden Marks Third Anniversary of January 6th with Visit to Valley Forge
President Joe Biden delivered a campaign speech at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (Andrew McKeough/AKSM Photography).
President Biden stated that democracy “is what the 2024 election is all about.”
Article by Dean Millard, Junior White House Correspondent
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. - During his visit to Pennsylvania, President Joe Biden focused on a key topic concerning the American people: democracy. On this day of his campaign visit, which marked the eve of the third anniversary of the January 6th insurrection at Capitol Hill, the President readdressed the incidents that occurred.
The president delivered his speech at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. The crowd in attendance at Montgomery County Community College consisted of many young voters and elected officials. This campaign visit is one of Biden’s many trips to Pennsylvania, the President’s birthplace.
His visit to Pennsylvania also included his participation in a memorial wreath-laying ceremony at Valley Forge National Historic Park. Valley Forge is the historic site George Washington used as his headquarters during the Revolutionary War. The President was joined by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and they were greeted by representatives from the National Park.
Valley Forge being one of Biden’s first campaign visits was a strategic move by his campaign team. According to CBS News, “Mr. Biden's choice of Valley Forge as the location of Friday's speech alludes to the winter of 1777-1778, which marked one of the darkest periods of the Revolutionary War for George Washington's Continental Army.”
This campaign visit location displays Biden and his campaign team acknowledging the potential historical implications of the January 6th insurrection. When reminiscing about the insurrection, Biden questioned if democracy in America remains a “sacred cause.”
Pennsylvania is a key battleground state as President Biden pursues reelection. Biden views the preservation of America’s democracy as a cornerstone of his campaign, and his speech signified how “many Americans remain shaken by the Jan. 6 attack and Donald J. Trump’s role in it,” The New York Times reports.
In his speech, President Biden restated his disapproval of the January 6th incidents and alluded to former President Donald Trump’s role in the insurrection. Biden acknowledged how Republican politicians and conservative media outlets have spoken out against the attack on the Capitol.
This visit marks the president’s first major campaign event of 2024. When discussing democracy, President Biden identified former President Donald Trump as a major threat. Biden’s focus on Trump has suggested that the president anticipates running against his former opponent.
"In America, our leaders don’t hold on to power relentlessly. Our leaders return power to the people – willingly. You do your duty. You serve your country. And ours is a country worthy of service. We are not perfect, but at our best, we face head on the good, the bad, the truth of who we are. That’s what great nations do, and we are a great nation – the greatest of nations,” Biden said.
President Biden highlighted his potential reelection as a means to save America’s democracy, which he believes is at severe risk. Biden referred to the insurrection as “a day forever seared in our memory because it was on that day that we nearly lost America, lost it at all,” The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
The President and his campaign team have a rigorous campaign travel schedule ahead. President Biden is eager to spread his message of preserving democracy in America. Although the presidential election is a distant ten months away, President Biden believes engaging voters early will be helpful for his campaign efforts.