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President Biden stepped up his outreach to Black voters who appear apathetic about his reelection, warning voters Monday at a South Carolina church where a White Supremacist killed nine Black people in 2015 about the dangers of extremist Republicans.
But the president’s effort at fence-mending was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters in the audience who shouted “cease-fire now,” underscoring another faction of eroding support in Mr. Biden’s base.
“If you really care about the lives lost here, then you should honor the lives lost and call for a cease-fire in Palestine,” a woman yelled at Mr. Biden from one of the pews, cutting off his remarks at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.
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“Cease-fire now. Cease-fire now,” the protesters chanted repeatedly as Mr. Biden stood silently.
“That’s alright. That’s alright,” Mr. Biden attempted to say as the protesters chanted over him for nearly a minute.
As security escorted out the demonstrators, supporters of Mr. Biden in the audience began to shout down the protesters by chanting, “Four more years!”
SEE ALSO: Biden’s speech in South Carolina church interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters
“I understand their passion, and we will be quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce [military operations] and significantly get out of Gaza. I’m using all that I can [to] do that,” Mr. Biden said.
The speech was the second in a two-part opening salvo to the 2024 presidential campaign in which Mr. Biden has decried his likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, as a purveyor of racism and extremism.
On Monday, Mr. Biden compared the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob to efforts to intimidate and harass Black voters during the civil rights movement.
“We saw something on Jan. 6 that we’ve never seen before, even during the Civil War,” Mr. Biden said. “Insurrectionists waving Confederate flags inside the halls of Congress built by enslaved Americans. A mob attacked and called Black officers, Black veterans defending the nation the most vile and racist names.”
Mr. Biden also said that Mr. Trump referred to the Capitol rioters as “peaceful protesters.”
The president made a similar argument Friday during a campaign speech in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where George Washington rallied his Revolutionary War troops nearly 250 years ago.
Mr. Biden said that Mr. Trump and his acolytes’ efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election showed they don’t have respect for the 81 million people who voted for the Democrat.
“In their world, these Americans, including you, don’t count,” Mr. Biden said. “But that’s not the real world. That’s not democracy. That’s not America.”
By appearing at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, Mr. Biden hopes to win back Black support by warning the murders there were caused by the type of extremism he says is embraced by the former president and his Make America Great Again movement.
The pews were filled with survivors and the families of the victims of the 2015 shooting, as well as clergy and interfaith leaders. Mr. Biden spoke at length about the massacre, which was carried out by Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old White supremacist. Roof entered the church during a Bible study session, killing nine Black parishioners.
As a result of the shooting, South Carolina began removing Confederate flags from official settings.
Recent polls show Mr. Biden‘s support among Black voters is shrinking. Some are threatening to withhold their support, while others are drifting toward former President Donald Trump.
Rep. James Clyburn, South Carolina Democrat and a crucial ally of Mr. Biden, said Sunday on CNN that he’s concerned the Biden campaign hasn’t communicated well enough to Democrats about Mr. Biden’s achievements on issues such as student loan forgiveness.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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