President Biden on Thursday marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings by making the case for an interventionist U.S. foreign policy, setting an election year contrast with former President Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Speaking from Normandy, Biden set the stage for a foreign policy clash with Trump over U.S. involvement in foreign wars and longstanding global alliances.
With dozens of surviving World War II veterans on hand, many of whom are now over 100 years old, Biden said the U.S. must stand ready to intervene in foreign conflicts to defend democracy abroad.
Biden singled out Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a “tyrant bent on domination.” He said the U.S. “will not walk away” from Ukraine, and he argued that an isolationist policy would embolden Russia to invade Ukraine’s neighbors.
“Isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago and is not the answer today.”
That line was a jab at Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Trump has said if he’s reelected he’ll negotiate a swift end to the Russia-Ukraine war, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Trump will sell his country out to Russia.
Some Republicans in Congress have been adamant that the U.S. should not be sending money, munitions or aid to Ukraine in what they view as a hopeless endeavor with no end in sight. They argue Biden has been a weak president, and why Putin invaded Ukraine in the first place.
There is fear of mission creep among Republicans. This week, Ukraine struck inside of Russia using U.S. weapons for the first time since Biden authorized it.
Biden on Thursday also contrasted himself with Trump by praising NATO, calling it the “greatest military alliance in history.” NATO is “more united than ever,” Biden said.
Trump has said the U.S. will remain in NATO if he’s reelected, but he’s been highly critical of the alliance, arguing that other countries do not pay their fair share and rely too much on U.S. largesse.
The Republican establishment aligns more closely with Biden on this issue. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) warned GOP isolationists not to forget the lessons of World War II in a New York Times op-ed. Sens. Thom Thillis (R-N.C.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) wrote an op-ed for MSNBC calling for additional investments in NATO, warning that “the winds of authoritarianism are blowing in every direction.”
There were some election year politics on display this D-Day, as well.
The Biden campaign released an ad featuring veterans slamming Trump as a “draft dodger” and making the case he’s unfit to be commander-in-chief.
Meanwhile, videos of Biden bending over for several seconds while standing on stage in Normandy ricocheted across GOP campaign accounts on social media.
Carl Cannon: The presidential pilgrimage to Normandy.
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