President Joe Biden hosted a small group of scholars and historians for lunch on Wednesday as he gears up for a speech framing the upcoming election as a battle for the nation’s democracy.
The discussion revolved around “ongoing threats to democracy and democratic institutions both here in America and around the world, as well as the opportunities we face as a nation,” the White House said in a statement.
Princeton’s Eddie Glaude Jr. and Sean Wilentz, Harvard’s Annette Gordon-Reed, Yale’s Beverly Gage and Boston College’s Heather Cox Richardson were among the attendees, as well as presidential biographer — and occasional Biden speech writer — Jon Meacham.
Attendees were tight-lipped about what was discussed at the gathering. One would only go so far as to say they “talked about American history and its bearing on the present — a lively exchange of ideas.”
Another person in the room, who like the others was not authorized to speak publicly about a private meeting, said the historians urged the president “to call out the moment for what it is.” In blunt terms, the academics discussed looming threats to the nation’s democracy and warned about the slow crawl of authoritarianism around the globe.
Okay, enjoy the genocide of your lgbtq+ and immigrant neighbors. You won’t vote but the MAGA crowd will appear in full force.
You’re kind of helping his argument, no? His choice is support genocide of his LGBT+ neighbors or Palestinians? Neither option presented sounds worthy of a vote.
And republicans are going to end the Israel-Palestine conflict? I don’t think so
You’re so hell bent on making it a Republican vs Democrat thing. We should be primarying Biden out. They’re both too old and need to go the fuck on.
Democrats already jumped at the chance to support one genocide. Why should anyone trust them to not do it again at their earliest convenience?
Republicans also jumped at the chance to feed Ukraine to Russia. Whats your point? Feed Ukraine to Russia so that Trump will protect Palestine? The Republicans already cut so much of Ukraine’s funding that they are struggling. I really don’t see what this better alternative is. We can’t just say no. Too much of the country is okay with both parties.
Whats your point?
I made my point. You ignored it. You don’t get to act like Democrats will protect anyone from genocide while they’re actively supporting a genocide.
They’re not being shielded; they’re just another entry on the “then they came for” list.
