On Friday, June 7th, President Biden delivered a speech at Pointe du Hoc, where 80 years ago American Rangers scaled the cliffs on D-Day. Biden compared the threat posed by Nazi Germany to the threats of today’s dictators and authoritarianism, urging Americans to follow the example of heroes and defend democracy.
In his speech, Biden called for increased support for Ukraine. He mentioned that the American soldiers who fought 80 years ago would have wanted today’s America to stand up against Putin’s aggression in Europe.
“They stormed the beaches alongside allies,” Biden said. “Some wonder, do these Rangers today want America to be isolationist?”
“They believed America is a beacon for the world. I’m convinced they believed America will always be so,” Biden added.
“When we speak of democracy – American democracy, we often talk about ideals of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. But what we don’t talk about is how difficult democracy is, how many ways it demands we walk away, how many instincts demand we walk away,” Biden emphasized.
“The most natural instinct is to walk away, selfishness,” Biden said. “But what American democracy demands is the most difficult thing: to believe we are part of something greater than ourselves. Therefore, democracy starts with each one of us.”
Biden urged Americans to remember the American Rangers, whose valor on D-Day helped the Allied forces secure the beaches.
“We are gathered here today not just to commemorate those who showed extraordinary courage on June 6, 1944. It’s to listen to the echo of their voices,” Biden said.
“They didn’t ask us to climb these cliffs, but they asked us to be faithful to what America represents,” he said.
On June 6, 1944, the elite American Ranger units climbed the cliffs overlooking Omaha Beach, about 100 feet high, amidst a hail of bullets, to capture German artillery that could have fired on the troops landing on the beach.
Biden chose Pointe du Hoc as the location for his speech, where 40 years ago, Republican President Ronald Reagan also commemorated the D-Day anniversary. Reagan stated that democracy was “worth fighting for” and emphasized America’s desire for peace at the end of the Cold War.
“History shows that ordinary Americans can do extraordinary things when faced with challenges. There is no better example in the world than Pointe du Hoc,” Biden remarked.
“They are part of something greater than themselves. They are Americans,” Biden said. “We are fortunate to be the inheritors of these heroes who climbed Pointe du Hoc, but we must also be the inheritors of their mission, the bearers of their fervent flame of freedom.”
Biden is currently in France for a five-day visit, a rare overseas trip before the election. The D-Day commemorations and related events are part of the President’s duty and not campaign activities. However, these events provide an opportunity for him to be contrasted with Trump.
Trump, who competed with Biden for the presidency, criticized Biden’s support for Ukraine as bringing high costs and proposed raising tariffs as part of an “America First” policy.
During his presidency, Trump often threatened to withdraw from NATO and pressured member countries to allocate 2% of their GDP to defense spending.
On Thursday, Biden met with WWII veterans in Normandy and on Friday met with Ukrainian President Zelensky.