Wednesday 2 November 2022 12:58 AM Biden tears into Republicans, vowing to give them 'hell' in midterms trends now
President Joe Biden on Tuesday defended his first two years in office and attacked a series of rivals for the country's woos as he made his closing argument for Democrats with one week to go until the midterm election.
Biden reeled off a number of applause lines in his remarks, attacking Big Phrama, Big Oil, and MAGA Republicans.
'I'm going to give them hell,' the president said.
He slammed Republicans repeatedly, including some by name. He criticized Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, specifically, for taking federal money for her congressional district while attacking his administration.
'Who the hell do they think they are?' he said of the GOP.
He called out Kevin McCarthy, who would become speaker of the House if Republicans win control of that chamber on Nov. 8th. He repeated his claim the GOP wants to cut taxes for the wealthy and cut social programs.
And he slammed Florida's Republican Sen. Rick Scott for his proposal to have Congress reauthorize Social Security and Medicare every five years.
Election forecasters predict the GOP will win the House next week. The Senate is seen as more up for grabs.
The president, who's faced questions about why he hasn't spent more time on the campaign trail held a traditional rally with a cheering crowd and marching band.
Biden was fired up for the event, talking loudly and pounding on the podium as he defended his tenure in office.
He attacked former President Donald Trump - although he did not mention his name - for not being able to pass an infrastructure bill like he did and for the economic situation the country was in when Biden entered the White House.
Biden defended his economic record, pointing to the tough situation the country was in when he took office. The country was still recovering from the lockdowns brought by the covid pandemic.
Voters say the economy is their top concern - and give Biden low marks for his stewardship of it.
'When I took office the economy was in ruins,' Biden said.
'My Republican friends in Congress seem to be hoping for a recession,' he argued.
President Joe Biden defended his first two years in office and attacked a series of rivals for the country's woos as he made his closing argument for Democrats with one week to go until the midterm election
President Joe Biden (center) holds up the hands of Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist (left) and Senate hopeful, Rep. Val Demings (right)
Biden reeled off a number of applause lines in his remarks, attacking Big Phrama, Big Oil, and MAGA Republicans
President Biden campaigned for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist (left) and Democratic Senate candidate Val Demings (right)
Biden cited the increased number of jobs created under his tenure. He blamed inflation and high gas prices on Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in the Ukraine.
He also attacked oil companies for their record profits.
'The oil industry is not doing the right thing,' he said. He renewed his push for the companies to face 'windfall taxes' on their profits.
He blasted Republican officials suing to stop his student debt forgiveness program, which would cancel up to $20,000 for some Americans.
'They're going to loose,' he said.
Most of Biden's campaign events have been small-scale or fundraisers. Tuesday's rally was one of his biggest events it the past few months. The gym at Florida Memorial University was packed with Democrats.
Biden was joined by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist and Senate hopeful Val Demings.
Crist is trailing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seeking a second term. And Deming is down against GOP Senator Marco Rubio in a contest that will help decide which party controls the Senate next year.
Biden pointed to Crist's previous political service. He served as Republican governor of the state from 2007 to 2011 before he switche to the Democratic Party.
'He was a great governor before and will be again - because of who he is replacing,' the president said.
He referred to Demings' former job - chief of Orlando police. Democrats are facing charges from Republicans that they are soft on crime, an issue voters say is one of their top concerns.
'Cheif Val Demings, she is the real deal,' Biden said.
Crist and Demings warmed up the crowd for the president.
'We can DeSantis cold if we work like hell, if we sprint to the finishing line,' Crist said to the cheering crowd.
'Gov. DeSantis only cares about the White House, he doesn't give a d*** about your house,' he noted, referencing talk DeSantis will run for president in 2024.
Both Crist and Demings accused Republicans of wanting to walk back women's reproductive rights - an attack line Democrats are hoping gets their voting base out to the polls.
'Marco Rubio wants to take us back to a time when women were second class citizens,' Demings said. 'I'm not going.'
Biden went to Donald Trump's homestate to kick off his last week of campaigning in the midterm elections that will decide control of Congress.
The president, who is battling low approval ratings, is spending his last week on the campaign trail trying to contrast how his Democrats will govern versus Republicans as voters prepare to head to the polls on Nov. 8.
He will make his closing argument at stops in New Mexico, California, Pennsylvania and Maryland over the next seven days.
He's not the only Democrat hitting the campaign trail.
Jill Biden heads to Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Barack Obama, meanwhile, will be in Nevada on Tuesday for Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, who faces a tough re-election campaign and he heads to Arizona on Wednesday to campaign for Senator Mark Kelly.
Election forecasters see Republicans having a strong chance of winning control of the House of Representatives. The Senate is seen as more up for grabs.
Winning control of even one chamber of Congress would allow the GOP to stymie Biden's legislative agenda for the next two years.
Trump himself is also hitting the campaign
