The results of the Georgia, Mississippi and Washington primaries have cemented what analysts and observers of U.S elections have described as Biden and Trump’s rematch for the office of the President of the United States, as they have secured the Democratic and Republican Party nominations, respectively.

Biden, who had no major rivals in his party, cleared the required 1,968 delegate threshold to be nominated, while Trump also exceeded the 1,215 delegate threshold.

The two candidates will be officially nominated at their respective conventions in July and August.

In his third State of the Union speech which lasted for 90 minutes, President Joe Biden emphasised the economic achievements of his administration and set himself apart from his predecessor. The State of the Union is “getting stronger and stronger and America is coming back,” he said.

The coast became clearer for Donald Trump after his opponent, and former South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley, withdrew from the Presidential race following Trump’s victory in 15 states and one territory, excluding Vermont at the Super Tuesday.

President Joe Biden, after the Super Tuesday, warned of an “existential” national threat and “darkness” if his Republican rival wins the race for the White House. Four years ago, I ran because of the existential threat Donald Trump posed to the America we all believe in.

“Tonight’s results leave the American people with a clear choice: Are we going to keep moving forward or will we allow Donald Trump to drag us backwards into the chaos, division and darkness that defined his term in office?” Biden wrote in a statement.

Immigration

Trump used harsh and divisive tactics, such as dividing families at the border and using heated rhetoric to warn of the dangers of migrants. Biden advocated for a more compassionate strategy that would be in line with the aspirational values of America throughout the 2020 election campaign.

Calling the unprecedented influx of asylum seekers a “border crisis,” Biden has, in recent weeks, advocated legislation that could temporarily seal the border and speed up deportations. He no longer makes mention of the early goal of giving “Dreamers,” or those brought into the country illegally as children, a route to citizenship.

The Trump administration’s deportation policies changed after Biden came into office, and as a result, there was a significant reduction in the number of individuals being deported from the country.

This has been a significant distinction between the two governments. With Biden allegedly considering executive actions to speed up deportations for new arrivals, especially for those who do not qualify for asylum, the disparity may be closing slightly.

In contrast, if Trump wins the election to the presidency, he has promised to conduct the “largest deportation operation” in US history to remove illegal immigrants. He then promised to employ the National Guard to carry out his intentions.

Democrats, especially Biden, swore not to build “another foot of wall” when he assumed office and strongly criticised Donald Trump’s flagship border wall-building strategy.

Republicans and Democrats criticised Biden last year after his administration unveiled plans to build a new border wall in Texas, which will be around 20 miles (32 km) of barriers constructed in a region of the Rio Grande Valley that is not heavily populated.

Biden said he “had no choice” because funding for the construction was signed while Trump was president.

“I tried to get them to redirect that money. They didn’t, they wouldn’t. I can’t stop that.” Biden said. At his campaign rallies around the United States, Trump has persisted in promoting the building of border barriers.

For the first time, according to a Monmouth University survey conducted on February 27, most Americans are in favour of building a border wall, with 53 per cent of respondents supporting the idea.

During the State of the Union speech, Biden criticised lawmakers for failing to pass a bipartisan border bill that was met with strong resistance from House Republicans and put the blame for the bill’s failure on Trump.

He said that the bill would have resulted in the hiring of 1,500 border security officers and an additional 100 immigration judges to assist in clearing the backlog of cases in the immigration system. “The bill would save lives, and bring order to the border.

“I’m told my predecessor called members of Congress in the Senate and demanded they block the bill. He feels it would be a political win for me and a political loss for him. It’s not about him. It’s not about me.

“My Republican friends you owe it to the American people to get this bill done. We need to act. And if my predecessor is watching instead of playing politics and pressuring members of Congress to block this bill, join me in telling Congress to pass it!

“We can do it together. But here’s what I will not do. I will not demonise immigrants saying they poison the blood of our country as he said in his own words. I will not separate families.

“I will not ban people from America because of their faith. Unlike my predecessor, on my first day in office, I introduced a comprehensive plan to fix our immigration system, secure the border, and provide a pathway to citizenship for dreamers and so much more, because, unlike my predecessor, I know who we are as Americans.

“We are the only nation in the world with a heart and soul that draws from old and new; home to Native Americans whose ancestors have been here for thousands of years, home to people from every place on Earth.

Israel, Gaza and Ukraine

In 2020, Biden used his rich background in foreign policy to describe Trump as a danger to American interests and allies globally.

Biden is now facing his toughest challenge with a protest vote against his support of Israel in the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Palestine.

More than 100,000 voters or 13 per cent of the total marked their ballots in the Michigan primary as “uncommitted,” expressing their disapproval of the President’s position on the Gaza War, sending a warning shot to Biden one week before Super Tuesday.

Biden announced during his State of the Union speech that his administration would construct a “temporary pier” off the coast of Palestine to make humanitarian supplies easier.

This, he said, will make it easy to receive large shipments carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelter available for the Palestinians.

Biden admitted that the war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians with over “30, 000 killed” and said the only solution is a two-state solution.

The U.S. President warned the Israeli leadership against using aid to Gaza as a bargaining chip as he described the ongoing war as “gut-wrenching.”

“This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed. Thousands and thousands are innocent women and children. Girls and boys were also orphaned. Nearly two million more Palestinians are under bombardment or displaced. Homes destroyed neighbourhoods in rubble, cities in ruin. Families are without food, water, and medicine. It’s heartbreaking,” he said.

Biden also pledged to work to bring every hostage home, pointing to American families whose loved ones are still being held by Hamas.

On Ukraine, Biden stressed that he has been a “lifelong supporter” of the U.S. ally.

Economy

At the State of the Union speech, President Biden revealed that he inherited an economy “on the brink” during the COVID-19 pandemic, but his policies helped revive it.

Biden also paid a nod to U.S. labour unions and the American middle class, while stressing that he plans to ensure that corporations pay their fair share.

“I came to office determined to get us through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history. And we have. It doesn’t make the news but in thousands of cities and towns, the American people are writing the greatest comeback story never told.

“So let’s tell that story here and now. America’s comeback is building a future of American possibilities, building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down, investing in all of America, in all Americans to make sure everyone has a fair shot and we leave no one behind!

“The pandemic no longer controls our lives. The vaccines that saved us from COVID-19 are now being used to help beat cancer. We have turned setbacks into comebacks. That’s America! I inherited an economy that was on the brink. Now our economy is the envy of the world. 15 million new jobs in just three years, that’s a record. Unemployment is at 50-year lows.

“A record 16 million Americans are starting small businesses and each one is an act of hope; with historic job growth and small business growth for Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans, 800,000 new manufacturing jobs in America and counting,”

Biden explained that inflation in the country has dropped from nine per cent to three per cent.

Trump’s threat

Trump’s language hasn’t changed. He lost his primary platform when he was banned from Twitter in 2021. This may be a political benefit for him since fewer people experience his attacks. While some ignore his remarks that once could have raised eyebrows.

He was not disqualified from the nomination even after being charged with 91 felonies. Rather, it has energised his core supporters.

However, 33 per cent of North Carolina Republican primary voters and 40 per cent of Virginia Republican primary voters agreed that Trump would not be fit to serve as president if he were found guilty of a crime.

Gun control

Biden made a strong statement on reducing gun violence. The President made scathing remarks on Trump’s administration’s inaction on gun violence alongside explaining the steps his administration had taken to stop mass shootings.

“I did do something by establishing the first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention in the White House that Vice-President Harris is leading. I’m proud we beat the National Rifle Association (NRA) when I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years,”

In a blistering critique of Trump, the President said: “My predecessor told the NRA he’s proud he did nothing on guns when he was President.”

At the podium, Biden declared: “Now we must beat the NRA again! I’m demanding a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines! Pass universal background checks! None of this violates the Second Amendment or vilifies responsible gun owners,”

Age limit

That’s a bigger problem for Biden. His age wasn’t a major factor when he was elected President in 2020, but at 78, he already held the record for the oldest President in American history.

Republicans point to every misstep made by the 81-year-old Biden as proof that he is not mentally and physically capable of being president.

Democrats also criticised Trump for his mistakes, pointing out that at 77, he confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi, and mistakenly identified Barack Obama as Joe Biden.

Trump’s ‘bloodbath’ comment

Donald Trump has been criticised after he warned that there will be a ‘bloodbath’ should he lose the November election in a fiery speech where he also branded migrants ‘animals.’

Trump painted an apocalyptic vision of the country if Biden wins a second term while speaking at an airfield rally outside of Dayton, Ohio, to campaign for Republican Senate candidate, Bernie Moreno.

“If I don´t get elected, it´s going to be a bloodbath for the whole that´s going to be the least of it; it´s going to be a bloodbath for the country. If this election isn’t won, I’m not sure that you’ll ever have another election in this country,” Trump said.

The outcry over his comments quickly poured onto X platform (formerly known as Twitter), as users branded Trump ‘hateful’ ‘grotesque’ and ‘a dangerous lunatic’ over both his ‘bloodbath’ comment and reference to migrants as ‘animals.’

Reacting to this, former Speaker and a frequent political foe of the former President, Nancy Pelosi the remarks highlight how important it is for Democrats to re-elect Biden.

“We just have to win this election because he’s even predicting a bloodbath. What does that mean? Is he going to exact a bloodbath? There’s something wrong here.

“Praising Hitler, praising the Russians, honestly, I mean, condemning our soldiers for losing or dying in war or being captured in war.”

Pelosi pleaded with the American public to take these issues into account when they head to the polls in November. (The Nation)

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