Biden says democracy 'in peril' in speech honoring fallen troops

President Joe Biden is observing his first Memorial Day as commander-in-chief at Arlington National Cemetary with a wreath-laying ceremony and remarks.

President Joe Biden, observing his first Memorial Day as commander-in-chief, delivered remarks Monday at Arlington National Cemetery, painting democracy as the "soul of America" and one that "worth fighting for ... worth dying for." "Democracy itself is at peril, here at home and around the world,” Biden warned in an emphatic and emotional address, speaking to military families at Arlington National Cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater. "How we honor the memory of the fallen will determine whether or not democracy will long endure." "For those who mourn a loved one today, Jill and I have some idea how you're feeling. Our losses are not the same, but that black hole you feel in your chest as if it's gonna suck you into it, we get," Biden said, noting that Sunday marked the sixth anniversary of his son Beau's death. "I know the incredible pride you felt seeing your loved one wear the uniform of our country and the pride they felt wearing it." On Friday in Hampton, Virginia, Biden shared details about Beau, who deployed to Iraq in 2008 with the Delaware National Guard. He died at the age of 46 from cancer.