Biden says ‘virulent … dregs of society’ have an ‘ally’ in Trump during speech for LGBTQ group
Former Vice President Joe Biden said “virulent … dregs of society” have an “ally” in President Donald Trump during a speech in front of America’s largest LGBTQ equality organization.
Among other topics, Biden spoke to those gathered Saturday at the annual Human Rights Campaign dinner about “forces of intolerance.”
“Despite losing in the courts and in the court of public opinion, these forces of intolerance remain determined to undermine and roll back the progress you all have made,” the Democrat said. “This time they — not you — have an ally in the White House.”
Biden added that “they’re a small percentage of the American people, virulent people. Some of them the dregs of society.”
“And instead of using the full might of the executive branch to secure justice, dignity, safety for all, the president uses the White House as a literal, literal bully pulpit, callously … exerting his power over those who have little or none,” he said.
The crowd — gathered to support “the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans” — reacted with applause.
Donald Trump Jr. rips Biden
Donald Trump Jr. — reacting to a tweet saying Biden called Trump supporters the “dregs of society” — referred to the former vice president as “Creepy Joe” and said people are used to him “saying stupid stuff, but this is too far even for him.”
What else did Biden say during his speech?
Biden also said he and former President Barack Obama had agreed to “remain silent” to give Trump’s administration a chance to “get up and running,” Newsweek reported.
“God forgive me,” Biden told the crowd in apparent regret over that decision, the magazine noted.
Biden added that last year’s deadly Charlottesville, Virginia, riots — where 32-year-old Heather Heyer was killed protesting a “Unite the Right” rally — led him to speak up, Newsweek said.
“We have leaders who at the time when that occurred, when these guys were accompanied by white supremacists and Ku Klux Klan … making a comparison saying there are good people in both groups,” Biden said, according to the magazine — a reference to Trump’s comments about Charlottesville.
“What has become of us? Our children are listening,” he added. “Our silence is complicity.”
In a headline-grabbing speech earlier this month supporting Democrats running in midterm elections, Obama asked “how hard” can it be for Trump to say, “Nazis are bad.”
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