Addressing the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, President Biden said the country must ‘defeat political extremism’ and rely on ‘faith to lead us out of darkness and light’ amid the coronavirus pandemic.
For the first time as President of the United States on Thursday morning, Biden made video comments during the National Prayer Breakfast, referring to the coronavirus pandemic, the ‘existential threat’ of the climate crisis, racial injustice and the uprising in the Capitol past month.
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“We saw witnesses we could never imagine,” Biden said. “A violent assault on the American Capitol, democracy and a violent threat that took lives.”
“We must defeat political extremism, white supremacy and domestic terrorism,” Biden said. “For so many people in our country, this is a dark, dark time.”
He added, “Where are we going then? Faith.”
Speaking of his faith, Biden said that faith in its “darkest moments offers hope and comfort; it also offers clarity and purpose.”
“Faith shows the way forward as one nation in a common goal,” Biden said. “It’s not Democrats and Republicans who are starving – they are our fellow Americans, fellow human beings; it is not Democrats or Republicans who are going without health care – it is our fellow Americans, fellow human beings; there are no Democrats and Republicans are becoming ‘out of their homes – these are our fellow Americans, fellow human beings; it is not Democrats or Republicans who are losing their lives by this deadly virus – they are our fellow Americans, fellow human beings.’
He added: “This is not a nation that simply can or wants to stand and watch. This is not who we are.”
Biden said he believes and knows “we’re going to get it all right.”
“We need each other. We need to lean on each other; lift each other up,” he said. “Let faith lead us out of darkness and into light.”
Biden’s remarks come after former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama also addressed the annual breakfast, as well as a number of lawmakers.
Biden’s comments on political extremism reflected his inaugural address last month.
Upon taking office, Biden requested a “comprehensive threat assessment” of violent extremism by the office of the director of national intelligence in cooperation with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Last month, Psaki said “all violence” would be reviewed as part of the Biden government’s effort to combat domestic violent extremism.
The announcement came weeks after the January 6 riot of the Capitol, which killed five people – including a U.S. Capitol police officer – while Trump Trump supporters stormed the Capitol during a joint congressional hearing. the election votes for Biden’s presidential election in 2020 wanted to confirm victory. And it also comes when anti-fascist rioters took to the streets in Portland and Seattle to wreak havoc and chaos.
Last week, DHS issued a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin after consultation with the intelligence community and federal law enforcement partners.
“There is currently an increased threat environment in the United States that is likely to continue in the coming weeks,” the bulletin said.
The bulletin noted that the agency had no information to indicate any “specific” or “credible” conspiracies, but that it cited violence and unrest across the country related to the presidential transition.
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“DHS has no information to indicate a specific, credible conspiracy. However, violent riots have continued in recent days and we are still concerned that individuals are frustrated with the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other complaints and ideological “Causes fueled by false narratives can continue to mobilize a wide range of ideologically motivated actors to incite or commit violence,” the bulletin reads.
The announcement comes after the White House said this week that “all violence” would be reviewed as part of the Biden government’s effort to combat domestic violent extremism.