Pathos on the cliffs
Biden's 12-minute campaign in France
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US President Biden is using the D-Day celebrations to send a message to citizens at home. Then, as now, it is about defending democracy in alliance with partners. It is about nothing less than the soul of the nation.
US President Joe Biden has called for a fight against aggressors and hateful ideology at home and abroad against a historic backdrop on the northern French coast. The soldiers who risked their lives to storm the beaches of Normandy 80 years ago expect freedom to be protected today, Biden said at Pointe du Hoc in Normandy, addressing his compatriots at home. “They are asking us to do our job, (…) to defend democracy, to oppose aggression abroad and at home, to be part of something bigger than ourselves.”
Pointe du Hoc is a stretch of coast in Normandy where Allied troops landed 80 years ago – on June 6, 1944. The so-called D-Day marked the beginning of the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi rule. The Allied forces at that time consisted mainly of Americans, British, Canadians, Poles and French.
The place now served as a film-worthy backdrop for Biden: a desk in the wind, right on the cliff, just a few meters behind Biden the cliffs fell steeply into the sea, about 30 meters deep. Biden joked that he would get into trouble with the Secret Service if he stepped closer to the edge to look down. Remains of a military fortress and bomb craters recall the dramatic scenes that took place there 80 years ago.
“Ordinary Americans can do extraordinary things”
The US soldiers at Pointe du Hoc had put their mission and their country above themselves, Biden warned. “Does anyone think they would expect anything different from every American today?” The men came from all parts of the USA, from the countryside, from the cities. “History has shown that ordinary Americans can do the most extraordinary things.” The speech, which required Biden to travel a long way from Paris, almost 300 kilometers away, ended up being comparatively short and lasted less than twelve minutes.
The day before, Biden had used a D-Day commemoration ceremony at a nearby US military cemetery to call for the defense of democracy. In his speech at Pointe du Hoc, the US president also referred to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin's war against the neighboring country – and called for international alliances against autocracy.
Referring to the D-Day fighters at Pointe du Hoc, Biden said: “Does anyone doubt that they want America to stand up against Putin's aggression here in Europe today?” The men back then stormed the beaches of Normandy alongside their allies. They certainly would not have approved of “America going it alone” today either. In his speech, Biden focused primarily on the audience at home and appealed to the conscience of Americans. It is the task of today's generation to ensure that democracy survives and the soul of the nation lives on.
His speech at Pointe du Hoc was not part of the official D-Day celebrations, but a personal touch from the Democrat, who is seeking a second term in November's presidential election. Even though it is an official speech by the president on a foreign trip, Biden's appeal is difficult to separate from his campaign.
The Democrat has placed the fight for freedom and democracy at the center of his re-election campaign – and his team is trying wherever possible to create a dramatic contrast with Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, who wants to challenge the incumbent in the election. At the same time, his team published a video on X in which images of the graves in France and the celebrations are juxtaposed with disparaging statements by Trump about the victims and military personnel.
Biden is in France for a visit lasting several days. After his stops in Normandy, he will be received as a state guest by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris tomorrow, Saturday.
