In his first public appearance since undergoing a round of prostate cancer radiation treatment on Sunday, former President Joe Biden assessed the “dark days” Americans are living in under Donald Trump and applauded late night comedians like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert for shining “a light on free speech knowing their careers are on the line.”
“Friends, I can’t sugar coat any of this. These are dark days,” Biden said, speaking in Boston while accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.
But the former president also said there’s a glimmer of hope for the country as long as the nation keeps “the faith.”
Watch a clip from his speech below:
“We’re one of the only countries in the world that time and again has come out of every crisis we faced, stronger than we went into that crisis — every one,” Biden said. “And after half a century watching this, sometimes moved to the brink before finding our true compass again, I still believe we’ll emerge. We always have, stronger, wiser and more resilient, more just, so long as we keep the faith, remember who in God’s name we are.”
He went on to say that America is “more powerful than any dictator,” and applauded late night hosts for standing up for their right to free speech in the midst of Trump’s attacks.
“The late night hosts continue to shine a light on free speech knowing their careers are on the line,” Biden said.
“America is not a fairy tale,” Biden continued, encouraging Americans to not “check out.” “For 250 years, it’s been a constant push and pull, an existential struggle between peril and possibility.”
As reports of Biden’s remarks gained traction Monday morning, Trump’s White House responded in a statement to Politico.
“The real ‘dark days’ were under Joe Biden’s failed leadership – when millions of illegal alien criminals poured into our cities, inflation crushed working families, and men played in women’s sports,” White House Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston said.
