“The presence of the Marines at the speech was intended to demonstrate the deep and abiding respect the president has for these service members in these ideals and the unique role our independent military plays in defending our democracy regardless of party affiliation. is in power,” White said. House of Representatives spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre told reporters. Marines stood behind the president as he spoke Thursday, checking the use of the military during a speech that focused on blasting former President Trump and warning that the former president and Republicans aligned with him are “a threat to this country”. “Whatever you think of this speech, the military is supposed to be apolitical. Placing uniformed marines behind President Biden for a political speech is counterintuitive. It’s wrong when Democrats do it. It’s wrong when Republicans do it,” CNN anchor Brianna Keilar, whose husband is in the military, tweeted. White House officials countered criticism that the speech was overly political in nature. “The president gave an important speech last night, a critical speech at a turning point, and our democracy, our values, our values that our men and women who protect us every day and fight for every day believe in ” Jean-Pierre said on Friday. The White House spokeswoman said it was “not unusual” for military members to be present during presidential speeches, pointing to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush as past presidents who also had military personnel on hand for speeches. Barr defends DOJ in Trump probe: ‘They probably have pretty good evidence’ Country singer Jason Aldean quit PR firm after backlash over wife’s comments: reports “It’s not abnormal, it’s actually normal, for presidents from both sides of the aisle to give speeches in front of members of the military,” he said. “It’s not an unusual sight, it’s not an unusual event to have happened.” Jean-Pierre echoed the White House’s argument that Biden was simply acknowledging the urgency of the issue in his remarks. “Defending democracy is not politics,” he said on Friday.
