Biden Urges Support for Democracy in Speech Delivered in Normandy
President Joe Biden delivered a speech on ‘American democracy,’ criticizing isolationism during his address at a historical battlefield in Normandy.
NORMANDY—President Joe Biden gave a speech in France at Pointe du Hoc, a significant World War II site, to convey his message to American voters ahead of the upcoming election.
Former President Ronald Reagan also chose this site for a memorable speech in 1984, adding historical significance to the location.
In a 12-minute speech, President Biden stressed the importance of maintaining democracy and warned against the perils of abandoning the fight for democracy, drawing lessons from history.
“When we discuss American democracy, we often focus on big ideas like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” President Biden stated. “What we don’t emphasize enough is how challenging it can be.”
“American democracy demands the utmost from us: to believe that we are part of something greater than ourselves,” he continued. “So democracy starts with each individual.”
President Biden was in France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a pivotal Allied invasion that liberated Europe from Nazi Germany’s control.
Events to commemorate the occasion in France were grand, featuring solemn ceremonies and large-scale re-enactments. For many of the 200 veterans aged 95 and older present this year, it may be the final major milestone.
President Biden boldly delivered his speech atop a steep cliff facing the U.S. Ranger Monument in Pointe du Hoc on the Normandy coast, mirroring former President Reagan’s iconic D-Day speech delivered 40 years prior. Reagan’s speech, praising “the men who took the cliffs,” resonated even with his critics, as historians note.
President Biden sought to draw parallels with the World War II era amid Russian aggression, echoing Reagan’s emphasis on the importance of alliances like NATO.
“The feared dictator who had conquered a continent ultimately met his match because of them,” he said of the Rangers. “They stood against Hitler’s aggression. Does anyone doubt that they would want America to stand up against Putin’s aggression here in Europe today?”
The Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument stands on a cliff eight miles west of Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery, where President Biden addressed the 80th-anniversary ceremony on June 6.
The monument, honoring the U.S. Army’s 2nd Ranger Battalion, commemorates their daring climb over the 100-foot cliffs on D-Day under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder, neutralizing German artillery threatening the American landings at Omaha and Utah Beaches.
