TEMPE — In his third visit to Arizona since being elected in 2020, President Joe Biden spent nearly 35 minutes at the Tempe Center for the Arts delivering a speech with dual purposes.
President Biden first announced the creation of The McCain National Library, honoring his friendship and political relationship with Arizona’s late Republican Senator.
However, the majority of the president’s speech was spent laying the groundwork for his 2024 reelection campaign: his fear of “the diminishment of democracy.”
WATCH: President Biden speaks on legacy of John McCain during library construction announcement
“We know how damaged our institutions of democracy, the judiciary, the legislature, the executive, have become in the eyes of the American people,” Biden said. “There’s something dangerous happening in America."
The president took direct aim at the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, calling the political base “an extremist movement [that] does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy.”
“Not every Republican, not even a majority of Republicans adhere to the MAGA extremist ideology,” Biden said. “I know because I've been able to work with Republicans my whole career. But there's no question today's Republican Party is driven and intimidated by MAGA Republican extremists.”
In raising his fears for the state of democracy, the president painted a stark picture of the country and its current political state. However, he also pointed to his optimism for America’s future generations.
“I've always been clear democracy is not a partisan issue. It's an American issue,” Biden said. “I've come to honor the McCain Institute Library because they are a home of a proud Republican who put his country first. Our commitment should be no less because democracy should unite all Americans regardless of political affiliation.”
Former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R), Governor Katie Hobbs, Mayor Kate Gallego, and Ambassador Cindy McCain were among the attendees of Thursday's speech.
As Ambassador McCain spoke prior to the president taking the stage, she noted the significance of a Democratic president opening a library in honor of her late husband.
“There is no more starkly manifested personification of these causes, and how they bring us together than the fact that President Biden is here to get us underway,” McCain said. “While John and he differed on many political issues through their respective careers, the great causes that brought them together, and were most important to our nation are shared in this venture.”
