Biden will seek to contrast with Trump’s ‘suckers and losers’ veterans slur during D-Day visit

President Joe Biden arrived in France to commemorate the80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, where he will likely try to remind European allies of his role as a world leader, while distancing himself from his “America First” predecessor, ahead of the November election.

Biden touched down on Wednesday in Paris to pay respect to World War II veterans. But the trip serves as a crucial opportunity for the president, as he stands to gain the support of allies in Europe ahead of the upcoming presidential election – and give them a chance to contrast his leadership with that of former president Donald Trump, who could soon be re-elected.

Perhaps in a preview of what’s to come, in a fundraiser on Monday, the president reminded donors of Trump’s comments that he made in France in 2018, when he canceled a trip to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and infamously referred to soldiers buried there as “losers” and “suckers.”

“‘Losers and suckers!’ Who in the hell does he think he is?” Biden said. “This guy does not deserve to be president, whether or not I’m running.”

On Tuesday, when asked whether Biden would visit the cemetery, John Kirby, the White House national security communications adviser, confirmed he would be visiting the cemetery. Kirby added: “Our commitment to honor that sacrifice should never waver. And our obligations to those they leave behind, even though it may be generations ago, can never be lessened.”

To further this contrast to his predecessor, according to the White House, Biden is expected to deliver a speech later this week focusing on democracy and freedom, both of which, he said during his State of the Union address in March, were “under attack” both at home and overseas.

As president, Trump withdrew