WATCH: Chief WH Adviser Says Biden Speech Will Take On Political Violence Like Pelosi Attack ‘From Capitol Hill’ Because of Jan 6
White House senior adviser Anita Dunn said President Joe Biden’s speech taking on political violence like the Pelosi attack will take place “from Capitol Hill” because “that is where there was an attempt to subvert our democracy.”
The president has not been shy about torching Republican supporters of former President Donald Trump in the wake of the attack on Paul Pelosi that targeted Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
On Wednesday morning, the White House announced that the president would be adding a “major speech” to his schedule, a Democratic National Committee address at the Columbus Club in Union Station, steps from the U.S. Capitol.
Minutes after the announcement, Mike Allen of Axios asked Dunn and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jennifer O’Malley Dillon for a preview of the speech during a live “Axios News Shapers” event, and zeroed right in on the setting:
MIKE ALLEN: So actually so we started with the news and we have some breaking news being made on the Axios stage. President Biden tonight will give a speech on democracy, and I understand he’s going to lay a factual predicate. Jen, Jen, give us a sneak peek.
JENNIFER O’MALLEY DILLON: Yes. Well, obviously, President Biden has been speaking about democracy for the entire time he’s been in office. And before then, you know, I think you can expect to hear from him this evening similar to what he’s been saying over the course of the last several months, that there is a lot at stake, including democracy, and that everyone has a role on that.
I think the other thing that will be really important and something you heard from President Biden in 2020 was that, you know, people are going to be able to vote. Over 25 million already have. They are voting all across the country. You know, in some places where we will have a lot of attention, focus, the votes will be counted and will take a few days to be counted because that’s how democracy works to make sure every vote is counted. So he’ll highlight that as well.
MIKE ALLEN: For those who are tweeting along at hashtag Axios events, thank you for this breaking news and what’s the setting and why?
ANITA DUNN: He’ll be making the speech from Capitol Hill. And why will he be making the speech from Capitol Hill? Because on January 6, we saw violence geared towards subverting democratic processes there. So it is you know, it’s an appropriate place to make these remarks tonight.
And political violence, you know, the threat of political violence, which most Americans find abhorrent, the idea that you would use violence to further your political means.
You know, it’s something that unites almost all Americans and that we can all be united against. And obviously, we’ve seen horrible things happen quite recently, the speaker’s husband. But it’s from Capitol Hill because that is where there was an attempt to subvert our democracy.
MIKE ALLEN: And Anita my reporting indicates President Biden is increasingly willing to take on these forces. He seems to be warming to being aggressive, proactive about this.
ANITA DUNN: I think the president believes that you have to name it, that you have to be very straight with the American people. As he likes to say, from the shoulder. And he and he will be very clear tonight that there, he is speaking to people who don’t agree with him on any issues, who don’t agree on his agenda, but who, you know, we really can unite behind this idea, this fundamental value of democracy.
MIKE ALLEN: Is that a Biden ism? Say it from the shoulder or what?
ANITA DUNN: There’s a bit of a Biden ism.
MIKE ALLEN: What is the expression.
ANITA DUNN: To be very you know, it means to be very direct.
MIKE ALLEN: Say it from the shoulder.
ANITA DUNN: From the shoulder.
Watch above via Axios.
