Said President Biden this evening: “I believe America is at an inflection point. One of those moments that determine the shape of everything that’s to come after. And now, America must choose to move forward or to move backwards. To build a future or obsess about the past.”

A statement released by the ACLU deputy political director Ben Needham reads as follows:

We couldn’t agree more about the attacks facing our democracy that President Biden spoke about this evening. The ongoing threat, the “Big Lie” has been waged by individuals pushing baseless conspiracy theories about widespread voter fraud. At the ACLU this election cycle, we are committed to ensure voters are well informed about elected officials who push the voter fraud myth.

It should concern every American that there are politicians using these unfounded claims as pretext for passing voter suppression laws and failing to improve access to the ballot. These efforts actively threaten the political power of targeted communities.

While the ACLU will continue to litigate and push back against discriminatory and illegal voter suppression attempts, President Biden and federal agencies have a tremendous opportunity through last year’s executive order to build on the work already being done at the state and local levels to register eligible Americans. Ultimately, Congress must pass federal voting rights legislation to protect the right to vote for all Americans. Our democracy can’t be taken for granted and it must be protected and fortified in every state.

Joe Biden hammered Donald Trump and his supporters for their increasing election denialism during a primetime address from Philadelphia, calling it an attack on “the most fundamental freedom in this country, the freedom to vote, and have your vote counted.”

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“We just need to remember who we are. We are the United States of America,” Biden says, at close of his speech.

“My fellow Americans, America is an idea. The most powerful idea in the history of the world, the beast in the hearts of the people of this country. It beats in our hearts and unites America. It is the American creed. The idea that America guarantees everyone be treated with dignity. It gives hate no safe harbor.

“It instills in everyone the belief that no matter where you start life, there’s nothing you can achieve. actually are. That’s what we stand for. That’s what we believe. That’s precisely what we’re doing. Opening Doors, creating possibilities, focusing on the future. And we’re only just beginning.

“Our task is to make our nation’s free and fair, justice, strong, noble and home and this work is the work of democracy. ... We can’t afford to have anyone on the sidelines. We need everyone to do their part. So speak up, speak out, get engaged.”

“The MAGA Republicans believe for them to succeed everyone else has to fail,” says Biden.

He adds that democracy must be defended.

Acknowledging the audible protesters, he says: “They have a right to be outrageous. This is a democracy!”

“We’re going to make the 21st century another American century because the world needs us to,” says Biden