President Joe Biden offered a comprehensive reflection on global electoral trends during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Monday. Responding to a question from Joe Scarborough, Biden shared his insights on recent left-wing victories in the United Kingdom and France, and how these trends relate to the Democrats’ performance in the 2022 midterm elections.
Scarborough initiated the discussion by highlighting the contrast between rising far-right nationalism in Europe and recent electoral setbacks for such movements. “I’m curious what message you take from the French elections and the British elections because we keep hearing about the rise of far-right nationalist extremism in Europe,” Scarborough asked. “But I’ve got to say, it looks like this past week has been the worst week for far-right nationalists between Britain and France. Wondering what you say about that and what message you take to NATO allies this week?”
Biden’s response spanned four and a half minutes, covering various topics. He mistakenly referred to the midterms as occurring in 2024, discussed economic issues, emphasized Black voter support, and boldly challenged his political rivals. He also made a striking comparison between former President Donald Trump and segregationist George Wallace, stating Trump “makes George Wallace look like a patriot”, told NBC News.
“Look, Joe, let me, let’s get something clear about ’20 and ’24. Not only were they wrong, I said they were wrong beforehand. I said we were going to win and how we were going to win. I didn’t pretend about it. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh my God, I was surprised.’ I was not surprised. I predicted it and I knew what we were doing, number one,” Biden began. “Number two, you may remember I was one of the few people out there publicly saying before the 2022 elections, there will be no red wave, there will be no red wave because I’ve been all over the country. I didn’t believe it at all. And then in 2023, there was key elections, and I went into those races. Not every one of them, but a lot of them and I said we were going to win. Look, well we won those!”
Biden’s remarks underscored his confidence in the Democratic Party’s strategy and outcomes. He highlighted his early predictions about the absence of a significant Republican surge in the 2022 midterms and took credit for the party’s successes in subsequent elections. His narrative emphasized his deep engagement in the electoral process and his firsthand observations from traveling across the country.
The President’s commentary provided a broad perspective on the current political landscape, both domestically and internationally. By connecting the dots between European elections and U.S. electoral dynamics, Biden aimed to reassure his audience of the resilience and adaptability of democratic institutions in the face of rising extremism. His message to NATO allies was clear: the struggle against far-right nationalism is ongoing, but recent electoral victories for the left signal a positive trend for democratic values worldwide.