'He may have squared the circle': Biden's Oval Office address has many singing his praises
President Joe Biden on Sunday gave a speech from the Oval Office in which he condemned political violence that led to his opponent, Donald Trump, being grazed on the ear by a bullet on Saturday at a political rally.
Biden, who has been until recently facing more and more frequent calls from within his own party to drop out of the presidential race, may have turned a corner with the speech, according to onlookers.
"Violence has never been the answer," a defiant Biden stated.
Former Republican lawmaker Adam Kinzinger, for instance, said the speech was a "Very good, and very important Oval Office address" by the president.
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MSNBC columnist Michael A. Cohen said the speech was "excellent" and "both a plea for national unity and a clear political message that resonates with the themes of his re-election campaign."
Brian Krassenstein said Biden’s address "is just what we need right now."
"He’s calling for unity and making sure we know that we are all in this thing together. He’s doing an amazing job at orating as well," he said. "Regardless of what you think of Biden or Trump, please listen to Biden’s words and take them to heart. America is better than we’ve shown."
New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie said he thinks Biden "circled this square politically by simultaneously showing his support for Trump's recovery and reminding viewers that other notable and recent instances of political violence are all, well, associated with Trump and his movement."
He added, "Totally possible that he ends [up] being the one who benefits most politically by both tamping down the Democratic crisis and putting him in the limelight as president."