Biden Takes His State of the Union Message on the Road
President travels to Florida, home of two potential challengers
President Biden's spent the days since delivering the State of the Union traveling the country to spread the themes he first talked about in the annual speech Tuesday evening.
These travels come as Biden prepares to announce publicly whether he formally will seek reelection next year.
That message was underscored Thursday, when the president visited the home state of two Republicans he could be facing off against for a second term: former president Donald Trump and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis. Trump has already announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination while observers wait to see if DeSantis — who just won reelection as governor in November — will join him.
Biden touched down in Miami, Fla., Thursday, after having visited Wisconsin, likely an important battleground state during next year's presidential election.
“There's a lot more to do, but I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s future. Just remember who we are, for God’s sake. We're the United States of America! Nothing, nothing is beyond our capacity!” Biden told the crowd to which he spoke in Miami, carrying on the energy and verve he displayed in his State of the Union before a politically divided Congress.
He got even more fiery when defending his priorities.
Biden talked about the nation's wealthy shouldering more of the tax burden.
“You think a trillionaire should be paying a 3 percent?” he asked. “Look, I'm a capitalist. If you can make a million or a billion dollars, God love you.”
He also promised to defend Medicare and Social Security from potential Republican cuts.
“They are more than government programs, they're a promise, a promise we made. Work hard and contribute, and when the time comes to retire, we’ll be there for you to help you out. It's been a sacred trust, a rock-solid guarantee, generations of Americans have counted on it and it works,” Biden said. “The number of seniors living in poverty has plummeted since Social Security was created. Now these guys wanna cut it. I don’t get it. I really don't. I don't know who they think they are. We saw on Tuesday night, Republicans don’t like being called out on this.
“They were not very happy with me pointing this out. Look, I know that a lot of Republicans, their dream is to cut Social Security and Medicare. Well, let me say this: ‘If that’s your dream, I’m your nightmare,’” the president added.
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