President Joe Biden made a number of jabs at Donald Trump before shifting his tone to address what journalists have to take “seriously” about the former president at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday.
Biden — toward the end of his speech to the D.C. crowd — reflected on his address marking the 3rd anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack where he noted that Americans must answer “whether democracy is still” America’s most “sacred cause” this year.
“The defeated former president has made no secret of his attack on our democracy. He said he wants to be a dictator on day one, and so much more. He tells supporters he is their revenge and retribution. When in God’s name you ever heard another president say something like that?” Biden said.
He continued, “And he promised a bloodbath when he loses again. We have to take this seriously. Eight years ago, you could’ve written [it] off as just Trump talk but no longer. Not after January 6. I’m sincerely not asking you to take sides, but ask you to rise up to the seriousness of the moment. Move past the horse race numbers, the gotcha moments.”
The president — who spoke at the event as pro-Palestinian protesters greeted attendees on their way in — made light of his predecessor on a number of occasions, labelling him “sleepy Don” and mocking debate around his age ahead of the election in November.
“I’m a grown man running against a six-year-old. Well, I feel great, I really feel great, I’m campaigning all over the country: Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, I’ve always done well in the original 13 colonies,” quipped Biden before the D.C. crowd.
He went on to tackle Trump’s take on the Battle of Gettysburg, which Trump described as “unbelievable” as well as “so much and so interesting and so vicious and horrible and so beautiful in so many different ways.”
“Quote, ‘Gettysburg, Wow,’” exclaimed Biden as the crowd giggled.
“Trump’s speech was so embarrassing, the statute of Robert E. Lee surrendered again.”
Biden would later give thanks to members of the press as he referred to Trump attacking journalists using his “enemy of the people” label.
“That’s wrong and it’s dangerous, you literally risk your lives doing your job, you do,” said the president, who later called for the return of journalists Evan Gershkovich and Austin Tice along with former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
You can check out Biden’s full remarks in the video below.