Joe Biden will address the “danger of election deniers” and political violence at a DNC fundraiser in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening, according to a release by the Democrats and statements by White House officials. The subject is a rehash of the “Dark Brandon” speech Biden delivered in September in Philadelphia. The 7 p.m. EDT address is slated for a Democrat fundraiser at the Columbus Club in Union Station, a once-vibrant retail and transit center on Capitol Hill that has been overtaken by violence and homeless encampments in recent years.
Anita Dunn, a Biden aide, told Axios on Wednesday morning that the site of the speech was picked to remind voters of the incident on January 6th.
The address is a last-minute addition to Biden’s itinerary, hinting at his desperation to prevent the anticipated Republican wins in the midterm elections next week.
“The president will address the threat of election deniers and those who seek to undermine faith in voting and democracy; and the stakes for our democracy in next week’s election,”
JUST IN: President Biden is going to speak tonight from Union Station about election deniers and 'preserving and protecting our democracy' as Election Day approaches. pic.twitter.com/w7ASUA2WiR
— Scott Thuman (@ScottThuman) November 2, 2022
The White House updated Biden’s schedule Wednesday morning:
Meanwhile, the White House updates the schedule: https://t.co/BVfenxsnfe pic.twitter.com/NhuJNCEUQ7
— Olivier Knox (@OKnox) November 2, 2022
Senior White House advisors previewed the speech at an Axios forum Wednesday morning.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff @jomalleydillon and Senior Adviser Anita Dunn preview President Biden's speech on democracy tonight at 7pm ET at Union Station in Washington, DC with @axios' @mikeallen. #AxiosEvents pic.twitter.com/O1WiC9Nh7o
— CSPAN (@cspan) November 2, 2022
Axios excerpt:
The big picture: White House Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President Anita Dunn said that the setting of Capitol Hill is important.
“Because on January 6th we saw violence geared towards subverting democratic processes there.”
“It is an appropriate place to make these remarks tonight,” she said.
“The threat of political violence … it’s something that unites almost all Americans and something we can all be united against,” Dunn said.
Observers noted Union Station has fallen on hard times:
I think Union Station — an epicenter of crime and homelessness in Democrat-run D.C. — is the perfect backdrop for a Joe Biden speech https://t.co/1ZJoodfM95
— Chad Gilmartin (@ChadGilmartinCA) November 2, 2022
Andrew Quinn, Chief Speechwriter and Strategic Communications Director for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), stated, “It appears that either D.C. or local authorities finally cleared out the homeless tent city in front of Union Station… in time for President Biden to give a speech there tonight”
It appears that either D.C. or local authorities finally cleared out the homeless tent city in front of Union Station… in time for President Biden to give a speech there tonight
— Andrew Quinn (@AndrewCQuinn) November 2, 2022
Free Beacon executive editor Brent Scher photographed the suddenly cleared Union Station:
I’m guessing only because it’s election week, but DC cleared the tent city from in front of Union Station and it actually looks nice pic.twitter.com/UfRqWxGWSR
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) November 2, 2022
Mark Bednar, Strategic Communications and Digital Advisor to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), “Live look at DC’s Union Station, where Biden will make his closing arguments tonight on Democrats’ accomplishments.”
Live look at DC's Union Station, where Biden will make his closing arguments tonight on Democrats' accomplishments. pic.twitter.com/onXzkOPWSR
— Mark Bednar (@MarkBednar) November 2, 2022