Biden invokes memory of Pointe du Hoc to make case for democracy

President Biden on Friday made the case for American democracy and its role on the world stage using the memory of veterans who stormed the beaches of France on D-Day 80 years ago.

Biden delivered remarks from Pointe du Hoc, the 100-foot cliff in Normandy that Army Rangers scaled under gunfire to help turn the tide of World War II. He urged Americans not to forget the selflessness and bravery of those who fought that day, tying it directly to the global and domestic challenges the U.S. is facing today.

“As we gather here today, it’s not just to honor those who showed such remarkable bravery on that day. … It’s to listen to the echoes of their voices. To hear them,” Biden said. “Because they are summoning us, and they’re summoning us now. They ask us, what will we do? They’re not asking us to scale these cliffs. But they’re asking us to stay true to what America stands for.”

“My fellow Americans, I refuse to believe, I simply refuse to believe, that America’s greatness is a thing of the past,” Biden added, taking a subtle dig at former President Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” slogan.

Biden did not mention Trump by name in his remarks, which lasted less than 15 minutes. But Biden’s rhetoric was a clear reference to the issues he has focused on in his reelection campaign, including protecting democracy from the threat of Trump and retaining America’s role as an influential power that can rally allies on the world stage.

“American democracy asks the hardest of things, to believe that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. So democracy begins in each of us, begins when one person decides there’s something more important than themselves … when they decide their country matters more than they do,” Biden said.

He also invoked the war in Ukraine to argue for America’s support against Russia’s invasion, which is a theme that he has used throughout his trip to France. Biden earlier on Friday met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and apologized for the delay in funding for the war-torn country.

“Does anyone doubt that they would want America to stand up against Putin’s aggression here in Europe today?” Biden said of the soldiers who fought at Pointe du Hoc. “Does anyone believe these rangers would want America to go it alone today? … Does anyone doubt they wouldn’t move heaven and earth to vanquish hateful ideologies of today?”

“They believed America was the beacon of the world, and I’m certain they believed it would be that way forever,” he added.

Biden’s speech was delivered in the same spot where then-President Reagan marked the 40th anniversary of D-Day in 1984 with a rousing address about the value of democracy amid the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

The president’s chief foreign policy achievement during his first term has been rallying European allies in support of Ukraine as Kyiv fights against invading Russian forces. Biden has repeatedly referred to the U.S. as “the world power.”

Trump, meanwhile, has expressed skepticism about continued support for Ukraine if he is elected in November. The former president has been critical of allies, such as NATO, and has sparked alarm among some former aides that he would try to leave NATO if he wins back the White House or would cozy up to dictators like Vladimir Putin of Russia or Kim Jong Un of North Korea.

Biden honored the bravery of the World War II veterans, saying on Friday that during this trip to France, “One thought comes to mind, my God, my God, how did they do it?”

He mentioned a few veterans, including one who was there in person sitting next to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and was in the D-Day invasion at 18 years old. Biden greeted the veteran personally after the speech.

Biden’s reelection campaign released a video Thursday, blasting Trump as a “draft dodger” to mark D-Day. The video featured three veterans who argued that Trump is unfit to be commander in chief, arguing that “A good commander in chief is somebody who gives a s‑‑‑.”

The president will cap off his visit Sunday with a stop at the same cemetery where Trump was unable to visit due to weather in 2018 and reportedly referred to those buried there as “losers” and “suckers,” comments Biden has repeatedly cited to attack his predecessor. He will travel to Paris on Saturday for an official state visit with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Biden on Thursday gave remarks at the D-Day landing anniversary, during which he also invoked Ukraine’s fight against “a tyrant,” appealing to Americans to remember the value of international alliances at a precarious moment in world affairs.

He spoke in front of dozens of surviving World War II veterans and there, too, took subtle jabs at Trump’s America First agenda, stressing the importance of standing by allies.

The D-Day landings, which are the largest amphibious invasion in history, helped turn the tide of World War II. Biden on Thursday met with 41 veterans, 31 of which were at D-Day, telling them they’re the “greatest generation” and “saved the world.”