CHARLESTON, S.C.—President Joe Biden’s speech at a historic South Carolina church on Jan. 8 was briefly interrupted by protesters who called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The protesters screamed “ceasefire now,” forcing President Biden to pause his remarks at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. The president resumed his speech after security personnel escorted the protesters out of the venue. The president’s supporters responded to the interruption with their own chant: “Four more years.”
The incident highlighted the challenges President Biden is facing, particularly during a critical election year, as he faces a decline in support from young voters, mainly because of his stance on Gaza.
“I understand their passion,” the president said in response. “And I’ve been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza.”
According to observers, the protesters hugged and cheered after being escorted out of the church, apparently pleased with disrupting the president’s speech.
President Biden continued to deliver his speech at the historic church, emphasizing what’s at stake in the upcoming election. The president’s visit to South Carolina is seen as an effort to boost his standing with black voters, especially given recent declines in his approval ratings among this group.
Established in 1816, Mother Emanuel is one of the South’s oldest black congregations, bearing immense cultural significance. On June 17, 2015, the church witnessed a tragic event in which nine black parishioners were shot and killed by a white man.
President Biden’s decision to speak at the symbolic location is viewed as a deliberate choice, aimed at targeting “white supremacy.”
During his speech, he called white supremacy a “poison” in the country that has ripped the nation apart throughout history. He also took aim at former President Donald Trump, who’s the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination.
“We shall know the truth, and the truth shall set us free,” he told the crowd in Charleston. “But the truth is under assault in America. As a consequence, so is our freedom, our democracy, and our very country, because without the truth, there is no light. Without light, there’s no path from this darkness.”
He also criticized former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who’s also vying for the GOP nomination for the presidency. Ms. Haley has faced criticism for omitting during a campaign event last month that slavery was a root cause of the Civil War.
“Let me be clear for those who don’t seem to know—slavery was the cause of the Civil War,” President Biden said. “There’s no negotiation about that.”
Biden Seeks to Reconnect With Black Voters
The president’s visit to Charleston comes at a time when polls show that he’s struggling to connect with black, Hispanic, and young voters who traditionally lean Democrat.These results fuel concerns about President Biden’s reelection prospects.
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said on Jan. 7 that he was “very concerned” about the president’s declining support among black voters and that he had discussed his concerns with the president. He said President Biden’s legislative victories aren’t boosting voter sentiment.
“I have no problem with the Biden administration and what he has done,” Mr. Clyburn told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“My problem is we have not been able to break through that MAGA wall in order to get to people exactly what this president has done.”
Also, reports have surfaced that former President Barack Obama raised concerns about the reelection campaign during a private meal with President Biden at the White House.
‘Sacred Cause’
To consolidate support among critical Democratic voters, President Biden has recently adjusted his approach, firmly focusing on what he sees as the threat to democracy posed by former President Trump.Before his South Carolina visit, President Biden delivered a searing address near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, which served as George Washington’s headquarters for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
During his speech, President Biden drew a parallel between what he called his fight for the “preservation of American democracy” and George Washington’s “sacred cause” during the struggle for American independence nearly 250 years ago.
He claimed that the reelection of former President Trump posed a grave threat to democracy and fundamental freedoms.
President Trump, on Jan. 5, during a campaign rally in Sioux Center, Iowa, accused the president of “abusing Washington’s legacy.”
January 6
Both in Valley Forge and Charleston, President Biden condemned his predecessor for encouraging a “violent mob” to storm the U.S. Capitol.“We saw something on January 6 we'd never seen before, even during the Civil War,” President Biden claimed. “We must reject political violence in America.”
His comments came after President Trump called individuals imprisoned for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach “hostages.”
“They’ve suffered enough,” President Trump said during a campaign stop in Clinton, Iowa, on Jan. 6. “I call them hostages. Some people call them prisoners.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), the House Republican conference chairwoman, expressed similar concerns on Jan. 7 during an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“I have concerns about the treatment of January 6 hostages,” she said. “We have a role in Congress of oversight over our treatment of prisoners, and I believe we’re seeing the weaponization of the federal government against not just President Trump, but we’re seeing it against conservatives.”
