Addressing an overflow crowd at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Mr. Biden said: “Your right to choose is on the ballot this year. Social Security that you’ve paid for since you had a job is on the ballot. Child safety your freedom from gun violence is on the ballot, and that’s no exaggeration—the very survival of our planet is on the ballot.” “You have to choose,” Mr. Biden added. “Will we be a country moving forward or a country going backwards?” The events, in the safe Democratic suburbs of Washington, were intended to ease Mr. Biden into what White House aides say will be an aggressive period of defending his political victories and helping his party’s candidates. He aims to turn months of gains into political energy as Democrats have seen their hopes of a rebound amid a burst of action by Mr. Biden and a legacy-defining Congress. From bipartisan action on gun control, infrastructure and domestic technology manufacturing to Democratic-only efforts to tackle climate change and health care costs, Mr. Biden highlighted the achievements of the party’s unified but elusive control over Washington. And he sought to sharpen opposition to Republicans, who once looked poised for major victories in November. Just months ago, as inflation soared, Mr. Biden’s poll numbers fell and his agenda stalled, Democrats were bracing for significant losses. But a strong voter response to the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and a productive summer on issues of concern to Democrats has the party feeling like it is finally on the offensive heading into the Nov. 8 vote, even as the president remains not popular. President Biden during a rally for the Democratic National Committee at Richard Montgomery High School on August 25, 2022, in Rockville, Md. Alex Brandon / AP Before the rally, Mr. Biden raised about $1 million at an event with about 100 donors for the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Victory Base Fund in the backyard of a luxury Bethesda home. After speaking at the rally, Mr. Biden stood with the crowd without masks for nearly 30 minutes, re-immersing himself in the style of campaigning that had been disrupted for Democrats for more than two years by the COVID-19 pandemic. The president, who was identified as a close contact of first lady Jill Biden on Wednesday when he was diagnosed with a “rebound” case of the virus, did not appear to be wearing a face covering as he posed for selfies and hugged supporters. Mr. Biden’s events on Thursday come a day after the president moved to fulfill a campaign promise that delayed federal student loan forgiveness for lower- and middle-income borrowers — a move that Democrats believe will energize younger and black and Latino voters. . Republicans, however, saw their own political advantage in the move, calling it an unfair gift to would-be Democratic voters. “President Biden’s inflation is crushing working families, and his response is to give even more government money to higher-wage elites,” said Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell. “Democrats are literally using the money of working Americans to try to buy themselves some enthusiasm from their political base.” Mr. Biden extended his bid to brand Republicans as the “super-MAGA” party — a reference to former President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” — by opposing his agenda and adopting conservative ideological propositions as and Trump’s lies. allegations about the 2020 elections. “What we’re seeing now is either the beginning or the death of an extreme MAGA philosophy,” Mr. Biden told donors at the fundraiser. “It’s not just Trump, it’s the whole philosophy that he supports — I’ll say something, it’s like semi-fascism.” “I respect conservative Republicans,” Mr. Biden later said. “I have no respect for these MAGA Republicans.” President Biden during a Democratic National Committee rally at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Md., on August 25, 2022. JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS The Republican National Committee called Mr. Biden’s comments “abhorrent.” “Mr. Biden has forced Americans out of their jobs, transferred money from working families to Harvard lawyers, and sent our country into recession while families can’t afford gas and groceries,” the spokesman said. Nathan Brandt. “Democrats don’t care about suffering Americans — never have.” The president laid out a vision for the next two years if his party can retain control of Congress, reports CBS News’ Musadiq Bidar. “We’ll codify Roe v. Wade, ban assault weapons, protect Social Security and Medicare, pass universal pre-K, restore the child care tax credit, protect voting rights. Pass election reform and you’re going to make sure that no one, no one has the opportunity to steal an election again,” Mr. Biden said, adding that his “completely different vision” is better for America. The president said he is “determined to ban assault weapons” in this country and urged voters to ask each candidate whether they would support such a ban, Bidar noted. “If you’re not, we’re not going to vote for you. Period,” Mr. Biden said. Since the Supreme Court’s June decision to strike down women’s constitutional protections for abortion, Democrats have seen a boost in donations, at the polls and performance in special elections for open congressional seats. The latest came Tuesday in a Hudson Valley swing district that, in a Republican surge year, should have been an easy GOP victory. Instead, Democrat Pat Ryan, who campaigned on a pro-abortion rights platform, defeated Republican Mark Molinaro. “MAGA Republicans have no idea about the power of women,” Mr. Biden said, noting the abortion issue’s resonance with female voters as some in the GOP push for a national ban on the procedure. “Let me tell you something: they’re going to find out.” The shift gives Democrats a new sense that a Republican sweep of the House is no longer such a sure bet, particularly as battle-tested incumbents who poll better than Mr. Biden work in their districts. Meanwhile, Democrats have benefited from Republican candidates winning primaries but struggling in the general campaign. Trump-backed Senate candidates have complicated the GOP’s chances in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona, while several Trump-aligned candidates in House races weren’t always the party’s first choice. Trump’s grip on the GOP remains strong and may have gotten even tighter after the FBI’s search of his Mar-a-Lago home. J. I want.” Mr. Biden’s political event, which is sponsored by the Democratic National Committee, comes as the president and members of his cabinet are set to embark on what the White House has described as the “Building a Better America Tour” to promote ” the benefits of the President’s achievements and the Act to reduce inflation to the American people and highlight the contrast with the vision of congressional Republicans.” Meanwhile, the White House has benefited from a steady decline in gasoline prices, which, while still elevated, have been declining daily since mid-June. “Our critics are calling inflation,” Mr. Biden said, rejecting Democratic Party attacks that his policies have resulted in inflation at a 40-year high. “You mean global inflation caused by the global pandemic and Putin’s war in Ukraine?” In Maryland, Mr. Biden joined gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore and a host of other officials on the ballot. Moore, introducing Mr. Biden, said his Trump-backed opponent “Dan Cox is not an opponent. It’s a threat.” Months ago, Democratic lawmakers facing tough re-election battles tried to play down when Mr. Biden came to town, though White House aides said Mr. Biden could still be an asset by raising issues that resonate with voters and sharpening the divide with Republicans. Now, allies see the fortunes beginning to turn and the president as a more immediate asset to the campaigns. “Joe Biden is not technically on the ballot,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland. “But Joe Biden is on the ballot, and Joe Biden needs your support.”
