Former President Joe Biden, seen in Omaha, Nebraska, on November 7, 2025, delivered a strong critique of his successor, arguing to a room of supporters that President Donald Trump has “taken a wrecking ball” to democracy.
Speaking at a gala hosted by the Nebraska Democratic Party, Biden referenced Trump’s demolition of the White House’s East Wing to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. “I knew Trump was going to take a wrecking ball to the country, but I had no idea, I have to admit, I didn’t know there was going to be an actual wrecking ball,” Biden said. “It’s a perfect symbol of his presidency,” he added. “Trump has taken a wrecking ball not only to the people’s house but to the Constitution, to the rule of law, to our very democracy.”
Biden also mocked Trump’s repeated declarations that his second term has brought “a golden age” to the country. “He now says we are quote ‘in a golden age.’ The only gold is the stuff he’s hanging on the mantle,” the former president joked, referring to Trump’s gilded additions to the Oval Office.
At times during his remarks, Biden addressed Trump directly. “You act in a way that embarrasses us as a nation, quite frankly,” he said. He further criticized Trump for prioritizing the interests of his wealthy allies over the American people. “You work for us, Mr. President. We don’t work for you. You work for us, not just billionaires and millionaires,” Biden emphasized. “I’m angry.”
The former president also spoke about his recent prostate cancer diagnosis, just weeks after completing a course of radiation therapy. Tying his personal experience with the illness to the importance of healthcare, Biden said, “I thank God for the doctors and the nurses and the incredible breakthroughs we’re making in cancer research.”
He contrasted this with the current administration’s policies, stating, “Now Trump and his Republican friends are cutting government funding for health care and making it more expensive, more expensive for virtually everyone.”
Biden’s remarks come amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, centered on a stalemate over health care subsidies. Democrats are refusing to support a Republican bill to fund the government because it does not extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
Reflecting on the recent elections held on Tuesday, Biden enthusiastically declared, “The Democratic party is back!” Democrats secured victories across the board, including Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York City, and Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill’s wins in gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively. In California, voters approved a Democrat-backed ballot measure on redistricting.
Biden argued these wins send a clear message to Trump and his supporters, denouncing Trump’s policies. Echoing themes from his previous campaign, Biden stressed the fragility of democracy and urged supporters “to put in the work” to defend it.
“Democracy is not a given,” Biden said. “There is nothing guaranteed about democracy even in America. You have to put in the work. We have to elect the leaders who believe in democracy, who stand up for it, who defend it, who protect it.”
He concluded with a message of resilience and unity: “I know this nation. I know the American people. And here’s what I know: No one, no one, not even the president, can destroy our democracy if we stand together and fight for it.”
https://www.phillytrib.com/news/biden-says-trump-has-taken-a-wrecking-ball-to-democracy-in-sharp-criticism/article_09d565ff-5b2a-464c-9560-c503b0d31a8f.html
