Biden calls it the nation's biggest threat; others say it's 'politics'

WASHINGTON (TND) — President Joe Biden over the weekend addressed what he calls the biggest threat to the United States: white supremacy.

So, how worried is the government about that threat and what, if anything, does it mean in the 2024 race for the White House?

“The most dangerous terrorist threat to our homeland is white supremacy.," Biden said while addressing a graduation ceremony at Howard University. “I'm not saying this because I'm at a black HBCU. I say it wherever I go.”

Biden at historically black Howard University called out hatred and white supremacy, especially surrounding the Buffalo supermarket attack anniversary or more recent Texas mall shooting.

Though some students held up signs of complaint — that the government, including the president, isn’t doing enough to counter that violence.

Biden has long used evocative, historical references in key political moments.

In August of 2020, he told a crowd while campaigning, “They’re going to put you all back in chains.” That was followed by murmurs, and some wondered if he was specifically trying to resonate with black voters in attendance.

Then there was this line in January 2020. “Jim Crow 2.0,” he remarked.

“Jim Crow 2.0 is about two insidious things: voter suppression and election subversion," he said.

But some also wonder if Biden’s latest remarks are designed to help shore up support among a group that’s losing interest.

Young voters, like Bailey Scott, a South Carolina State University student told the Associated Press, “I know that the ideal person that I would like to be in office is not going to be in office. So, I'm just going to have to pick the lesser evil.”

Armstrong Williams, a conservative commentator alleged poll numbers are helping drive the conversation.

“Fifty-five percent Jan, don’t want him to run. Forty percent are undecided,” Williams said.

“So, what does he do? He plays the race card,” Williams claimed. “It shows you that the president and the Democratic party, that they’re losing their most loyal and significant base.”

Government figures show domestic terrorism is on the rise with 231 incidents over the most recent decade of analysis. About one third were ethnic or race related – though it's unclear how many are at the hands of white supremacist groups.

The Department of Homeland Security is countering that by funding educational resources and videos to help identify threats and signs of radicalization.

“When one community is targeted, Jonathan, when one community is targeted, we as a country are targeted,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told MSNBC this weekend.

Some Republicans are concerned these efforts could be used to paint all conservatives with too broad a brush and be used against them in the heat of the 2024 campaign.