CHARLESTON, S.C. — President Joe Biden on Monday visited South Carolina, warning of former President Donald Trump’s extremism and his attempts to “steal history.”
Speaking at the historic Mother Emanuel AME Church, Biden called white supremacy a “poison” that continues to haunt America. The site for the speech was where nine Black Americans were murdered by a white supremacist in a 2015 mass shooting.
“The Word of God was pierced by bullets and hate, rage — propelled by, not just gunpowder, but by a poison,” Biden said. “Poison as for too long haunted this nation. What is that poison? White supremacy. It’s a poison. Throughout our history, it’s ripped this nation apart. There’s no place in America. Not today. Tomorrow. Or ever.”
The President went after Trump as well as Nikki Haley for their comments on the Civil War, with Haley refusing to acknowledge slavery as the main 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. There is no negotiation about that,” he said.
The President also slammed Trump for his attempts to continue his election and January 6th falsehoods.
“In their world, these Americans, including you, don’t count. But that’s not the real world, that’s not democracy, that’s not America. In America, we all count. In America, we witness to serve all those who in fact participate. And losers are taught to concede when they lose and he’s a loser,” Biden said.
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) was in attendance and his endorsement of Biden in 2020 was key to securing the Black vote in South Carolina which led Biden to clinch the primary.
“This year’s election will determine the fate of American democracy, our freedoms, and whether this country will stand up against hate and vitriol embodied by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans,” Clyburn said in a statement via the campaign. “Few places embody these stakes like Mother Emanuel AME – a church that has witnessed the horrors of hate-fueled political violence and a church that has spoken to the conscience of this nation and shown us the path forward after moments of division and despair.”
