The commemoration of “Black Wednesday”, the insurrection of January 6, 2021, marked the starting signal for what will be the greatest political battle of 2022: Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump.
It was by no means accidental that the president of the United States referred to his predecessor on 16 occasions without mentioning him by his name and accused him of weaving a web of lies to prevent the peaceful transfer of power:
“The former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 elections. He has done it because he values power over principle. Because he sees his own interest as more important than the interest of his country, than the interest of the United States, and because he cares more about his bruised ego than our democracy or the Constitution.”
It was a direct blow to tarnish the “Trump” brand, a divisive, polarizing figure lacking in principle and self-control, who nevertheless remains in the shadows as the most likely Republican presidential hopeful for the 2024 elections.
It is true that many Democrats are legitimately concerned by the actions of the former president that led a mob of supporters to illegally occupy the Capitol to try to thwart the official certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 elections, where he obtained more than 81 million votes, 7 million more than former President Trump.
Both the investigation of the special congressional investigation committee, as well as the possible actions of the justice department, are solidly based on the notion that no one is above the law and that there must be consequences, to prevent similar actions from being a threat on political institutions in the future.
The message is clearer than water: Trump’s eventual re-election is a real and present danger to America’s democratic future.
But you can also see the contours of a deliberate political strategy by the White House to energize the Democratic militancy, which is disappointed by President Biden’s unfinished agenda and the inability of Democrats to deliver on the promises that brought them to power.
Due to differences within their own ranks, Democrats failed to pass the Build Back Better Initiative and thus failed to renew the child tax credits that had lifted half of the nation’s children out of poverty. As a result, more than 4.1 million Latino children will no longer receive support.
Immigration reform, the increase in minimum wages, the new voter rights law and police reform, among other promises, are also being put on ice.
The Biden vs. Trump rivalry allows the public to clearly understand the differences between Democrats and Republicans, as well as the dangers America faces with a Trump return in 2024. Although a bad settlement is always better than a good lawsuit, in this case a “political fight” of principles can be healthy for the republic.
