Biden dismisses claims that he is splitting Americans by labeling Trump supporters as a threat to democracy.

Biden dismisses claims that he is splitting Americans by labeling Trump supporters as a threat to democracy.

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden denied on Monday that he was demeaning Republicans by labeling followers of US President Donald Trump as radicals and a threat to democracy.

Republicans and some Democrats have charged Biden for inciting divides by equating Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement to "semi-fascism."

"I'm going to be direct. Not every Republican is a MAGA supporter. This strong viewpoint is not shared by every Republican. I know this because I've had the opportunity to collaborate with establishment Republicans throughout my career "Biden stated this during a Labor Day address in Milwaukee.

"However, the extreme-right Republicans in Congress have chosen a route full of fury, violence, hatred, and division, but we can and must pick a better path together."

According to Biden, the United States has been able to overcome obstacles because it is a "country of togetherness, hope, and optimism, not a nation of division, violence, and hatred as some others teach."

In a prime-time talk last week in Philadelphia, Biden warned that equality and democracy in the United States are "under siege," specifically mentioning Trump. Biden accused Obama and his allies of inciting political violence by refusing to recognize the results of the 2020 election.

In his speech in Philadelphia, Biden stated, "Donald Trump and the Republicans of MAGA represent an extreme that challenges the fundamental underpinnings of our nation."

Biden referred to some Republicans in Congress as "Trumpies" in his address Monday in Wisconsin, saying they were pursuing ideas that would weaken the social safety net.

"But here's the thing: Unlike what MAGA Republicans - the far right, the "Trumpies" - desire, these MAGA Republicans in Congress are coming for your Social Security as well."

President Joe Biden poses for photographs with participants at the Milwaukee Area Labor Council's annual Labor Fest on September 5, 2022, at Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Biden observes Labor Day by making remarks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, about the dignity of American workers. AFP Via Getty Images

Biden's remarks at Laborfest, an annual event hosted by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council and AFL-CIO, came just after a judge approved Trump's request to hire a special counsel to review records taken from his Florida home by the Justice Department.

During his visit in Milwaukee, the president made no mention of the court verdict. Later in the day, Obama paid a visit to a United Steelworkers of America branch in the Pittsburgh region.

Unofficial midterm election kickoff

Despite the fact that his first campaign trip was to Wisconsin on Monday, the Pennsylvania-born politician discovered a spot that felt like home on his way to the midterm elections.

The president's Labor Day trip to the Pittsburgh region is the third time in a week he has made Pennsylvania the scene of campaign-style activities in the beleaguered state, which Biden narrowly won.

The heated governor, House, and Senate contests, as well as the pivotal U.S. presidential election, have all piqued Biden's interest, and he is increasing his travel as the summer winds down and the country prepares for the autumn elections.

Biden chose Pennsylvania for his lectures on public safety and domestic dangers to democracy on Tuesday and Thursday.

On the tarmac in Pittsburgh, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the Democratic candidate for governor, and Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, who is running against Republican candidate Mehmet Oz for an open U.S. Senate seat, greeted Biden.

Shapiro also attended Biden's crime-focused address last week, while Fetterman, who did not attend, pushed the president in a statement before to his Pittsburgh visit to legalize marijuana.

Both Democrats are up against candidates supported by former President Donald Trump. Republican Sen. Doug Mastriano, who is running for governor, joined Trump and Oz at a rally in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday night.

Trump won the state in 2016 and gathered fans one county away from Biden's hometown of Scranton on Saturday. Biden defeated Trump by fewer than 100,000 votes in 2020, but he lost the Wilkes-Barre district he picked for his address on Tuesday.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers addressed at the gathering in Milwaukee, a seat that Biden easily carried in 2020. Evers is running for re-election and will be challenged in the general election by businessman Tim Michels.

Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin was unable to attend the ceremony, according to Biden. Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, who is running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson, was also unable to attend the event, according to Biden.

Joining forces with labor

Labor is an important source of support for Biden, and the AFL-CIO has stated that it will press his agenda with workers in fall.

Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Ohio are among nine states where the AFL-CIO says it will organize voters in the coming months with a view on 2024 and future elections. This year, all three states will hold gubernatorial and Senate elections.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is working to increase labor movement support, is also in the Northeast on Monday.

She spoke at the annual breakfast of the Greater Boston Labor Council and met separately with Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and union members.

Harris' campaign did not explain why she selected Boston, although the city has a media market that handily spans the border into New Hampshire, which also has a critical Senate contest on the ballot this year.