on the campaign trail
In fiery speech, Obama tells voters Biden stands 'with democracy, not dictators'
Former President Barack Obama hit the campaign trail on Wednesday for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, telling supporters at a drive-up rally in Philadelphia that having Biden in the White House would mean a return to calm.
President Trump goes "out of his way to insult anybody who doesn't support him and threatens them with jail," Obama said. "That's not normal presidential behavior. We wouldn't tolerate it from a high school principal, we wouldn't tolerate it from a coach, we wouldn't tolerate it from a co-worker, we wouldn't tolerate it from our own family, except for maybe a crazy uncle. Why would we accept this from the president of the United States? Why are folks making excuses for that?"
There have been no consequences for Trump's actions, Obama declared, and he has emboldened others to be "cruel and divisive and racist," fraying the fabric of society. "It affects the way our children see things," Obama said. "It affects the way that our families get along and it affects how the world looks at America. That behavior matters. Character matters."
Referring to multiple reports that Trump called U.S. soldiers who died in combat "suckers" and "losers," Obama said Biden would "never" fling such insults at members of the military, and knows that "these heroes are somebody's children, somebody's spouse, somebody's dad or mom. He understands that, and he's going to restore our standing in the world, because he knows America's true strength comes from setting an example."
The United States' allies want to "follow a nation that stands with democracy, not dictators," Obama said. "A nation that can mobilize and inspire others to overcome threats like climate change and terrorism and poverty and disease." Biden will usher in a new era of normalcy, Obama continued, and without Trump's divisiveness, "you're not going to have to argue" about the things he says every day. "It just won't be so exhausting."