Biden Challenges: Who will lead if US steps back?

US President Joe Biden raised a thought-provoking question to his compatriots during a campaign event in Tampa, Florida, criticising his November opponent for advocating US withdrawal from global leadership.

“In considering the possibility of the United States retreating from the global stage, as proposed by Trump, we must ask: who would step up to lead the world? Who would lead?” Biden posed to the audience.

Biden is gearing up for a rematch against his predecessor, Donald Trump, in the upcoming November presidential election, echoing their 2020 showdown.

Addressing the global implications of the election, Biden recounted encounters with world leaders at international summits such as the G7 and G20. He revealed that many leaders have expressed a fervent desire for his victory, highlighting the stakes for democracy worldwide.

“The eyes of the world are upon us, not just regarding the outcome of the election, but also in observing our conduct,” Biden remarked, reflecting on his lifelong commitment to grassroots organizing, instilled during his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. He emphasized the critical role of individual engagement in shaping the democratic process.

Biden told his supporters that his campaign is doing great and has raised nearly half a billion USD so far.

“I am really excited. We have raised almost a half a billion dollars so far. But here is what excites me – so far, we have 1.6 million (16 lakh) contributors, 550,000 more than we had last time at this stage of the game. But here is the deal – of those 1.6 million contributors, 97 per cent contributed less than USD 200. Think of all the numbers that means,” he said.

The incumbent also said he is ahead of Trump in recent polls. “In the last 23 national polls, I have been ahead in 10 of them, Trump has been ahead in eight and we have been tied in five. More importantly, the momentum is clearly in our favour. For example, we moved eight points in the latest Marquette poll and seven points in the Echelon poll. And the Marist poll now has us up by three nationwide,” he said.

“The point I am making is, people are beginning to listen. This is a time people begin to focus and listen. They have generic impressions up to now, but now they are listening,” he said.

At the beginning of his remarks, Biden saw kids in the crowd and approached two elementary school-aged boys who were standing to his right. He lowered the microphone, got close and whispered to them. After that he looked around to his staff and said, “You know what to do, right?”

Then he crossed the room over to two similarly-aged girls and whispered to them too. The president apparently whispered to the children about making sure that their parents get them ice cream. At the end of his remarks, he again told the kids to remember what he promised.

Biden said Florida is in play nationally. “This election is a basic, old-fashioned election,” he said.

With inputs from PTI