Presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden says voters have come to see him as the “antithesis” of President Trump — and he shares that point of view.
After largely avoiding the press for months, Mr. Biden switched gears Tuesday, fielding questions from reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, for nearly a half-hour, vowing to tap his running mate next week, raising doubts about the professional baseball season, and saying Mr. Trump’s polarizing approach is a threat to the nation.
“I think our democracy is at stake — for real,” Mr. Biden said. “And what seems to be the case is many Americans, those who don’t like me and those that do, view me as the antithesis of Trump, and I believe that I am.”
Mr. Biden delivered the assessment after unveiling the fourth and final installment of his “Build Back Better” agenda.
He called for more spending on programs aimed at combating systemic racism and racial inequality, which he said has been exacerbated by the coronavirus and Mr. Trump’s failures.
“Donald Trump faces a real test, and he’s failed it,” Mr. Biden said. “The duty to care for the entire country, not just his reelection prospects.”
“He’s shown he can’t beat the pandemic and keep you safe,” the former vice president continued. “And he is, horrifyingly, and not surprisingly, intentionally stoking the flames of division and racism in this country.”
Despite trailing in most polls, pollsters have pointed out that Mr. Trump’s supporters tend to be more enthusiastic about voting for him this fall, and thus actually likely to turn up on Election Day, sparking concerns among Democrats that this could be Mr. Biden’s Achilles heel.
Asked about the enthusiasm gap, Mr. Biden said voters know him “warts and all” and said he hopes the policy plans he has been rolling out will help voters recognize that a vote for him is more than a vote against Mr. Trump.
“If I am elected and this passes, I am going to be good to go down as one of the most progressive presidents in American history,” Mr. Biden said.
“So I’m hoping that people will take a look at what I’ve done, what I’m proposing, why it’s in their interest that they move in the direction I’m suggesting,” he said. “And I think that is what we’re seeing some response to.”
Mr. Biden’s latest plan calls for redirecting $150 billion to boost minority-owned small businesses through a mix of public-private investments and opening up more access to low-interest business loans.
He pledged to tweak the “Opportunity Zones” to ensure they do more to benefit low-income communities, and also to make moves to increase access to affordable housing.
The three other pillars of Mr. Biden’s plan advocate increasing federal investment in research and development and a “buy American” proposal where the federal government would spend $400 billion into purchasing products and materials from U.S. manufacturers.
He wants to invest $2 trillion to boost clean energy and rebuild infrastructure and put the United States on a path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. He also is vowing to invest $775 billion in expanding child care and home care services for older Americans and people with disabilities.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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