Trump bizarrely claims Biden threatened US with ‘military force’ in speech decrying political violence

Biden condemned ‘MAGA Republican’ threats to democracy in prime-time address to the nation

Donald Trump baselessly accused Joe Biden of threatening the US with “military force” and as having “late stage dementia” after the president called him and his “MAGA Republican” followers for threatening democracy in a speech from Philadelphia, the nation’s birthplace.

Delivering a prime-time address on Thursday ahead of November’s midterm elections, Mr Biden painted a picture of dark forces and “extreme ideology” that was working to undermine the “foundations of our republic”.

Taking aim at Mr Trump and his allies in the GOP, Mr Biden said the very values of “equality and democracy” on which the United States was founded in Philadelphia were now at risk from Mr Trump and GOP allies intent on undoing hard-won rights.

“We do ourselves no favours to pretend otherwise,” said Mr Biden. “Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal”.

Taking to Truth Social, his own social media network, Mr Trump railed against Mr Biden for warning Americans about MAGA Republican “extremism” and accused the Democrat of “suffering from late stage dementia” – a well-worn attack on his 2020 opponent.

“If you look at the words and meaning of the awkward and angry Biden speech tonight, he threatened America, including with the possible use of military force,” Mr Trump wrote, without any basis. “He must be insane, or suffering from late stage dementia!”

The one-term president also suggested that “Someone should explain to Joe Biden, slowly but passionately, that MAGA means, as powerfully as mere words can get, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!,” in reference to his 2016 election campaign slogan.

“If he doesn’t want to Make America Great Again, which through words, action, and thought, he doesn’t, then he certainly should not be representing the United States of America, added Mr Trump, who shared (or “re-truthed”) an image of himself caressing a US flag pole.

Mr Biden, whose popularity has begun to pick-up from a low of about 38 per cent in July, has been bolstered by the Democratic Party passing a major spending bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as Republican attacks on LGBT+ and abortion rights and increasing turmoil surrounding his potential 2024 opponent, Mr Trump.

Previously referring to his predecessor as “the former guy”, he added during his address that while not all Republicans were followers of Mr Trump, those who were are “a threat to this country” and too willing to accept violences as a political tool.

“It can never be an acceptable tool,” said Mr Biden. “Democracy cannot survive when one side believes there are only two outcomes to an election — either they win, or they were cheated — and that’s where the MAGA Republicans are today”.