Joe Biden is holding President Donald Trump responsible for the alleged domestic terrorist scheme to take Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as a hostage. The Democratic presidential nominee pointed to the president's calls on social media to "liberate Michigan" following the Democratic governor's decision to implement coronavirus-related restrictions.
During a speech on Friday, Biden described the alleged plot as a sort of behavior that one might associate with ISIS, noting that it should be enough to shock the people of the United States' conscience. He then noted that the inability to condemn these folks is shocking and also pointed out that the presidents' tweet calling people to liberate Michigan was the same call that was heard. "That was the dog whistle," he added.
Accompanied by Whitmer and Democratic senator Gary Peters, Biden's comments came during his Michigan campaign on Friday. The days after the FBI revealed it discovered a plot by an extremist group to kidnap Whitmer at the state Capitol. The plot included plans to remove several state governments that the group believed violated the country's Constitution, including Whitmer and the government of Michigan, per a federal criminal complaint.
Trump did not stop slamming Whitmer even after the alleged scheme was revealed, and on top of that, he refrained from denouncing the group behind the plot. Aside from that, Biden criticized Trump's response to White supremacists that held rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, three years ago - an incident that Biden says encouraged him to run against Trump.
Noting that hate never goes away but just hides, Biden told attendees that there is no place for hate in America. The speech, however, focused more on health care, delivering a message that Biden and other Democrats have called attention to in the race's closing days, just like they did in 2018 when Republicans' failed efforts to terminate Obamacare that sparked a Democratic wave, giving the party control of the House of Representatives, CNN reported.
On Friday, Biden accused Trump and Senate Republicans of court-packing, noting that their push to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court ahead of the Election Day coincides with the plan to end the Affordable Care Act. He said the only reason they are bent on getting Barrett through the Supreme Court is to get a chance to terminate Obamacare.
The former veep told Americans not to make a mistake about it, adding that Trump has made it clear from the beginning that he wants to end Obamacare. With Barrett as his nominee, Biden said, the president has made it incredibly clear that he plans to get rid of Obamacare.