Biden's emphasis on "personal freedom" in early campaign takes aim at GOP
CBSN
Washington — When President Biden announced his reelection bid in a video this week, the first words out of his mouth were "freedom" and "personal freedom," adding that "there's nothing more important." He cast the 2024 election as a choice between "more freedom and less freedom."
Mr. Biden's emphasis on upholding "freedom" was a direct challenge to President Donald Trump and other potential Republicans who have stressed the importance of upholding personal liberty to resist government overreach. And experts say it is a tried-and-true way to evoke patriotic emotions among a broad swath of Americans by casting policy positions in a more favorable light.
In his announcement, the president said "MAGA extremists" are trying to take away "bedrock freedoms," including "cutting Social Security that you paid for your entire life while cutting taxes for the very wealthy, dictating what health care decisions women can make, banning books and telling people who they can love, all while making it more difficult for you to be able to vote."
