SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: In a fiery address at a fundraiser in San Francisco on Tuesday night, November 14, President Joe Biden took aim at his predecessor, Donald Trump, just on the eve of a major world leader summit.
The event, hosted by California Gov Gavin Newsom, was expected to generate over $3 million for Biden's reelection campaign and was attended by a crowd of 2,500 enthusiastic donors.
Joe Biden attacks Donald Trump
President Biden minced no words in expressing his opinion on Trump, declaring emphatically, "There's a lot of reasons to be against Donald Trump but damn he shouldn't be president."
The crowd, largely composed of wealthy donors, repeatedly cheered the president on as he continued to criticize Trump's rhetoric and political strategies.
Drawing attention to Trump's recent rally in New Hampshire, Biden quoted the former president promising to "root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country."
The president expressed concern, likening Trump's language to phrases used in Nazi Germany during the 1930s.
"And in just the last few days, Trump has said it returns office he's gonna go after all those who oppose him and wipe out what he called the vermin in America, quote the vermin in America - a specific phrase because it's just a specific meaning," Biden said.
"It that goes language you heard Nazi Germany in the 30s. That isn't even the first time. Trump also recently talked about blood of America has been poisoned. The blood in America has been poisoned. Again, echoes the same phrases used in Nazi Germany," he added.
The crowd booed and jeered when Biden brought up former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband. "On more than one occasion in recent weeks, he's made a joke about the assaults on Nancy Pelosi's husband," Biden said of Trump. "There's no place in America for political violence."
Addressing recent election results, including victories in Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia, Biden asserted, "Since I came off the sidelines to go toe to toe with Donald Trump, we haven't stopped winning and he hasn't stopped losing."
"You remember Trump told us he was going to win so much we'd get tired of winning. Oh man, I shouldn't get started," he continued, adding, "Let me tell you one thing that's true. We got tired of Trump. The truth is the guy can't get tired of losing."
Social media backlash
The president's bold statements, however, sparked a backlash on social media, with some questioning the definition of "winning" in the face of ongoing challenges.
"Winning is getting us in two wars? Who knew?" one posted on X (formerly Twitter).
"Yeah.. look at the state of our country. Look at those polling numbers. Look at Biden's approval rating," another wrote.
"Winning, like in the Middle East when the toys were left behind? Or when he has to do battle with stairs?" a comment read.
"Oh snap, how boring," someone else reacted.
"Biden has been a loser his whole life," another chimed in.
Call to address local challenges
Biden's four-day trip to San Francisco includes a pivotal meeting with China's President Xi Jinping, the main event in the city hosting leaders from the 21 economies comprising the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
Despite strained US-China relations, the White House remains optimistic, citing a robust US economy and decreasing unemployment as factors that could bolster Biden's credibility in discussions with other world leaders.
However, the president has also faced calls from social rights advocates to address San Francisco's homelessness crisis during his visit.
Critics have questioned the recent street cleanups in the city, suggesting they are merely an attempt to present a more favorable image during the foreign leaders' summit.
