Biden tells climate protester to keep quiet as he worries about green policies during speech honoring John McCain
- President Joe Biden tried to suppress a climate change protester during his pro-democracy remarks in Arizona on Thursday by telling the man to ‘shut up’
- Security kicked out the protester after he interrupted Biden’s remarks praising the late Sen. John McCain and attacking former President Donald Trump
- The man shouted: ‘Why haven’t you declared a climate emergency yet? Hundreds of Arizonans have died.”
Joe Biden silenced a climate change protester during his remarks in Arizona on Thursday by promising to meet with him afterwards if he would just “shut his mouth.”
The president was talking about protecting democracy during remarks at the Tempe Center for the Arts honoring the late Republican Sen. John McCain, when the heckler stood up.
“Why haven’t you declared a climate emergency yet?” the protester shouted, interrupting the president’s remarks. “Hundreds of Arizonans have died.”
The lone protester pressured Biden to declare a national emergency to unlock sweeping new federal regulations and funds to combat the climate emergency.
His bickering had nothing to do with remarks honoring McCain and calling for the preservation of American democracy.
President Joe Biden tried to suppress a climate change protester during his pro-democracy remarks in Arizona on Thursday by telling the man to ‘shut up’
Security escorts the protester out of the Tempe Center for the Arts after he interrupted Biden’s remarks honoring the late Sen. John McCain and attacking former President Donald Trump. The man shouted: ‘Why haven’t you declared a climate emergency yet? Hundreds of Arizonans have died.”
‘We are all being asked now: what are we going to do to preserve our democracy? Will we, as John wrote, never give up? Shall we not hide from history, but make history? Will we put aside partisanship and put country first? I say we must, and we will. We’ll. But it’s not easy, it’s not easy,” Biden said.
During the pause in his remarks, the man stood up and demanded a national emergency on the climate crisis, prompting crowds to boo.
‘Wait a minute, wait a minute. I’ll be happy to meet you after I speak, okay?’ the president implored the protester from the podium.
When he persisted, Biden intervened and said, “I’ll tell you what – if you shut up, I’ll see you after this. OK?’
“Democracy is never easy – as we have just shown,” he continued as the protester was pulled away by security. ‘The cause is worth giving everything for democracy. To make everything possible.’
President Biden launched a blistering, direct attack on “extremist” Donald Trump during his remarks on Thursday, urging Americans to stand up for democracy and accusing his rival of undermining US institutions.
Arizona is a battleground that is crucial to winning the presidential election.
Biden was also close friends with Republican Senator McCain. They served together in the Senate for decades.
In response to the heckler, Biden said, “Wait a minute. I’ll be happy to meet you after I talk, okay? I’ll tell you what – if you keep your mouth shut, I’ll see you next… Democracy is never easy – as we’ve just shown.”
To avoid any appearance of judicial interference, Biden has refrained from commenting on the multiple criminal charges against Trump — two of which include the former president’s involvement in efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
But the 80-year-old Biden did not hold back in the speech in which he claimed the country would risk its democracy if Trump gets a second term.
“(Democracy) means you can’t just love your country if you win,” Biden said – clearly referring to Trump’s refusal to admit he lost in 2020.
Referring to the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, he continued: “Democracy means rejecting and rejecting political violence. Regardless of party, such violence is never, ever, ever acceptable in America. It is undemocratic and should never be normalized to advance political power.”