DeSantis calls Biden’s “Soul of the Nation” speech one of the “most disgusting” speeches

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Joe Biden’s Soul of the Nation speech “one of the most disgusting speeches” ever given by an American president.

DeSantis, 43, joined Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle on Friday to blast Biden, 79, for calling his opposition a threat to the nation.

“I thought it was one of the most disgusting speeches an American president has ever given,” DeSantis said. “He acted as a unifier and basically told the vast majority of the country, who disapproved of him, that they are effectively a threat to the republic.”

DeSantis went on to say that Biden “claps” and “lashes out” at those who oppose his policies, but the Florida governor believes the American people have reason to criticize “American Nero.”

“He’s a failed leader. At the end of the day, his politics is why there is so much opposition against him,” he said.

“He came in and opened the border and we saw what a disaster that was. He’s knee-cap American energy, and we’ve seen that hurt millions and millions of people across our country. They inflated the currency, we had one of the worst inflations in over 40 years.

“Of course people will be upset about the debris he left behind.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 43, said Biden’s “Soul of the Nation” speech was “one of the most disgusting speeches an American president has ever delivered.” He said: “He has acted as a unifier and has basically told the vast majority of the country, who disapprove of him, that they are effectively a threat to the republic.”

Biden, 79, has since backtracked on his comments about Republicans, saying he sees “no Trump supporter as a threat to the country.”

DeSantis also claimed that “whoever feeds [Biden’s] “Teleprompter,” is the one who spreads the message in the Soul of the Nation speech, claiming that the White House refers to those who oppose the President’s policies as “second-class citizens.”

“The only Republicans he likes are Republicans who want him to have his way. Of course, if you object to his bad policies, as we do in Florida, then he will try to enlighten you as to whose acceptance as an American citizen.

Biden has since scaled back his attacks on Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters, saying on Friday he “does not consider any Trump supporter a threat to the country.”

It was a contrast to his remarks Thursday night when he said in a prime-time address on the threat to democracy that Trump and his supporters are a threat to the republic.

Republicans slammed Biden’s speech as divisive, while Trump said Biden was “insane.” However, Biden insisted his speech was aimed at those attacking democracy.

“I think anyone who calls for the use of force, doesn’t condemn violence when it’s used, refuses to recognize an election won, insists on changing the way the rules and we count votes, that is a threat to democracy. Democracy. And everything we stand for, everything we stand for, rests on the platform of democracy,” he said.

“So I’m not talking about anything other than that it’s inappropriate. And it’s happening not only here, but in other parts of the world where violence is not recognized and condemned whenever it is used for these purposes, attempting to manipulate an electrical result is not condemned, it is not recognised, when elections were won or lost.

President Biden defended Donald Trump’s supporters (pictured) and said the 74 million people who voted for Trump “didn’t vote to attack the capital.” They did not vote to overrule the election. They wanted a philosophy that he put forward.

DeSantis didn’t seem to believe the way back was real, telling Fox, “I think he’s doing this because he’s trying to power up his base to stave off a real butt punch this November.”

The Florida governor also slammed Biden over his vaccination orders, particularly in relation to the military – whose presence at the speech has angered some.

Before Biden’s comments, the White House said the speech was not political. But questions have been raised about the adequacy of the government, which led two Marines to rally behind the president during his remarks, which included repeated attacks on Trump, who is Biden’s potential opponent in the 2024 election.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the speech was about “standing up for democracy” and “denouncing political violence.”

She said it was not political to talk about “the challenges facing the nation. We don’t call all this political. We see that as leadership.”

“The presence of the Marines at the speech should demonstrate the President’s deep and abiding respect for these military personnel,” she said at her news briefing Friday, “and the unique role our independent military plays in defending our democracy.”

DeSantis went on to say that Biden has “armed federal agencies to mobilize against those” he doesn’t like. And I think he will continue to do so.’

On Thursday, Biden delivered a significantly different message.

He said Trump was a “threat to the country” in statements that included his harshest rhetoric yet about his predecessor in the Oval Office and the MAGA movement.

“Equality and democracy are under attack. We’re not doing ourselves any favors by pretending it’s different,” Biden said at the beginning of his speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

He called out Trump by name, slammed the former president for his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen and berated those who support Trump.

“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represented extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic,” Biden said, to much applause from his supporters.

He made it clear that he doesn’t see every Republican as “extreme” or a threat, but said, “There is no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans.”

“And that’s a threat to this country,” he said. “Too much of what is happening in our country today is not normal.”

Biden accused Trump and his supporters of thwarting free elections, disregarding the constitution and pushing back the country on personal rights.

“MAGA Republicans don’t respect the Constitution. They didn’t believe in the rule of law. They have not recognized the will of the people,” he said. “They refused to accept the results of a free election.”

“You can’t just love your country if you’re winning,” Biden said. It was a marked change in tone for Biden, who previously rarely mentioned Trump by name and usually called him “the former guy.”

His speech came just before Labor Day, the traditional start of the campaign season. But the address to the nation was largely ignored by television networks, with ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, Fox News and Fox Business opting not to broadcast it live. Only CNN and MSNBC did.

Trump, meanwhile, reacted sharply to Biden’s comments.

The former president called Biden “insane” and asked if he “suffered from late-stage dementia” after the president claimed he was a “threat to democracy.”

Trump took to his Truth Social account on Thursday night to slam the “clumsy and angry” speech at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall — and urged someone to explain to his successor what MAGA means “slowly but passionately.”

“Someone should slowly but passionately explain to Joe Biden that MAGA means, as powerfully as mere words can be, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he wrote.

“If he doesn’t want to make America great again, which he doesn’t do in word, deed, and thought, then surely he shouldn’t be representing the United States of America!

“If you look at the words and the meaning of Biden’s clumsy and angry speech tonight, he threatened America, including the possible use of military force. He must be crazy or have late-stage dementia!’

Biden’s doctor declared him “fit for duty” after his annual physical in November.