Biden and Trump Confirm Rematch, First Campaign Rally in Decisive Georgia

by Lee Myeonghwan

Published 10 Mar.2024 12:06(KST)

In the upcoming U.S. presidential election scheduled for November, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who are confirmed to face each other again, both visited Georgia, considered one of the key battleground states, on the 9th (local time) and held their first campaign showdown.

Georgia, located in the southern United States, was a swing state where President Biden won by a margin of 0.23 percentage points, less than about 12,000 votes, in the 2020 election, and it is regarded as a crucial battleground that could determine the outcome of this election as well.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On this day, the two former and current presidents visited Georgia in connection with the state's primary election scheduled for the 12th. However, both are virtually confirmed as their parties' presidential candidates. During the campaign, President Biden and former President Trump focused on rallying their supporters by intensifying attacks on what they consider each other's weaknesses: 'democracy' and 'border policy.'

At a rally held in Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, President Biden warned, "Our freedom truly depends on the vote this November," cautioning that democracy would be at risk if former President Trump returns to power.

He criticized former President Trump for inviting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb?n, who is regarded as a dictator, to his Florida residence the day before, saying, "He is pandering to dictators and authoritarian thugs around the world." He also pointed out that Trump boasted about exchanging love letters with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, called Chinese President Xi Jinping a 'king,' and told Russian President Vladimir Putin to "do whatever you want with our allies," adding, "I believe he was sincere when he said he wants to be a dictator."

Furthermore, he criticized former President Trump for calling immigrants "pests" and saying they "pollute America's blood," instead of celebrating their contributions to the U.S. economy and society. He also promised, "As long as I am watching, that will not happen," referring to Trump and the Republican hardliners' attempt to ban abortion rights nationwide.

During the event, a pro-Palestinian man shouted "Genocide Joe," criticizing the Biden administration's pro-Israel policy, and was escorted out. President Biden defended him by saying, "I am not offended by his passion. Many Palestinians are unfairly suffering."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the same time, former President Trump campaigned in Rome, Georgia, a Republican stronghold and the district of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of his ardent supporters.

At the rally, former President Trump fiercely criticized President Biden's border policy, using the case of college student Raiken Riley's murder as a focal point. Riley, a student at Augusta University in Georgia, went out for exercise on the 22nd of last month and was found dead. Police arrested a Venezuelan national who illegally crossed the Mexican border in September 2022 on murder charges.

Former President Trump raised his voice, saying, "What Joe Biden has done to our border and the people of this country is a crime against humanity, and he will never be forgiven." He claimed, "If Biden had not deliberately and maliciously dismantled America's border and unleashed thousands of dangerous criminals into our country, Riley would be alive today."

He also questioned, "Is our country going crazy?" in response to Biden's regret over not calling the immigrant accused of Riley's murder an "illegal immigrant." When he criticized President Biden as "the most incompetent and corrupt worst president" and shouted "You're fired!" at the rally, his supporters cheered.

Riley's parents attended the rally that day, and former President Trump met with them separately before the event to offer condolences.

Georgia, located in the southern United States, was a Republican stronghold but former President Trump lost to President Biden by 11,779 votes in the 2020 election. At that time, Trump called Georgia's Secretary of State, who manages the election, and ordered him to "find 11,780 votes" to overturn his defeat. This act led to criminal charges for election interference last August, and he is awaiting trial.

Additionally, when criticizing President Biden's foreign policy, former President Trump repeatedly claimed that he had a good relationship with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. He also mentioned as one of his achievements during his tenure that he resolved the dumping issue of washing machines between South Korea and China and saved the American home appliance company Whirlpool, referring to the safeguard (emergency import restriction) imposed on imported washing machines in January 2018.