NewsNation

Biden-Trump war of words highlights chasm between Dems, GOP

(NewsNation) — The battle between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump continues to heat up, with both taking shots at one another this week as a possible rematch between the two remains possible in 2024. 

On Saturday night, Trump took direct aim at Biden during a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.


“He thinks making America great again is a threat to our country. No. Making America great again is great for our country,” Trump said.

The stop in Pennsylvania came two days after Biden also came to the state for a prime-time address in Philadelphia, where he called “MAGA republicans” a threat to democracy.

“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic,” he said.

Trump took a similar tone Saturday night.

“The danger to democracy comes from the radical left. Not from the right,” he said. There’s only one party that’s waging war on American democracy.

The war of words comes as a recent Quinnipiac poll found 67% of Americans believe democracy to be in danger of collapse, up nearly 10 percentage points from January.

As midterms get closer and control of Congress remains at stake, things could heat up even more.

Biden will be in Milwaukee and Pittsburgh for Labor Day, and Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman plans to join him on the Pennsylvania stop.

The Senate race between Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz will be one of the most closely watched this fall. During his speech Saturday night, Trump accused Fetterman of being a drug user.

And in Ohio, polls show a tight Senate race between Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance. Vance spoke with a NewsNation station on Wednesday about the importance of the race. 

“I instinctively mistrust polls at this stage. I don’t think they’re anything more than, at best, a snapshot of the race,” Vance said. “The choice for Ohio voters is so clear. You have a guy who has been very anti-police, very pro-inflationary policies. You have an alternative. And I’m the alternative.”

As of now, Decision Desk HQ has Vance ahead of Ryan by less than two percentage points.