Joe Biden cites hate, white supremacy as America’s top issue: ‘It has to be rooted out’

Democratic presidential front-runner Joseph R. Biden has declared that hate and white supremacy are the biggest problems confronting America.

The former vice president also laid the blame squarely on President Trump.

“This is about anger, white nationalism, unadulterated hate. It has to be rooted out, just ripped out. And the fact of the matter is, it’s not happening. It’s not happening at all,” Mr. Biden said Monday night at a fund-raising event near Sun Valley, Idaho.

Mr. Biden launched his run as a crusade against the racism, bigotry and hatred that he says Mr. Trump ignited. The mass shooting intensified Mr. Biden’s appeals.

Evoking the bloodshed in Texas and Ohio, he said he was running for president to restore the character of the country. He warned that another term for Mr. Trump would forever change America for the worse.

“This is serious, serious, serious business. Everyone knows who Donald Trump is. Even his supporters know who he is. They have no illusions about him. We gotta let him know who the hell we are,” Mr. Biden said.

“This is the United States of America. There’s not a damn thing we can’t do,” he added. “We have to remember who we are. This is a country and an idea. And the only thing that can bring it down is America itself. As I’ve said, we have always led by the power of our example, not the example of our power. This guy [Donald Trump] just doesn’t get it.”

The shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, took the lives of 31 people.
The 21-year-old shooter in El Paso apparently posted online a white supremacist manifesto prior to the attack on Hispanic shoppers at a Walmart. He killed 22 people before being apprehended by police.

The motivation of the 24-year-old shooter in Dayton, who killed nine including his sister, remained a mystery Tuesday. He was killed by police.