'DEFCON 1 moment': Democrats call on Biden to take on Trump's Big Lie more forcefully

On Monday, the Tacoma News Tribunereported that Democratic strategists are increasingly desperate for President Joe Biden to directly and publicly confront former President Donald Trump for his repeated conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was stolen.

"During his first nine months in office, Biden has largely avoided attacking Trump by name, even as he has broadly criticized those sowing doubt about the electoral process and pushed for measures to safeguard voting rights," reported Francesca Chambers. "Some Democrats agree with Biden's posture, arguing that he should not provide oxygen to Trump and his baseless claims of election fraud when he is no longer in power. But others in the party say Biden should be more focused on combating efforts they see as undermining democracy, especially as Trump ramps up his political activity ahead of the 2022 and 2024 elections."

This comes as Trump has refused to back down from his election lies, even defending the January 6 Capitol insurrectionists by claiming in a recent statement that "November 3" was the real insurrection.

While some Republicans, in particular retired GOP leaders like former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS), have condemned Trump's behavior, Trump has maintained the allegiance of most sitting GOP elected officials. Biden, for his part, has occasionally gone after Trump's "Big Lie" directly in speeches — but strategists want a more constant condemnation.

"The Jan. 6 insurrection was the DEFCON 1 moment for the Biden administration and for American democracy," said Democrat Fernand Amandi. "And by not elevating that to the most important focus of the country in the administration today — which is the efforts by the Republican Party and President Trump and Trumpism to end American democracy — we dilute and diminish the very existential nature of what that threat represents."

"In recent weeks, Biden has signaled a willingness to more vigorously counter the activity of Trump and his supporters on legal and constitutional issues," noted the report. "Biden waived executive privilege this month for a set of records pertaining to the Jan. 6 riot that a congressional committee had sought, and he encouraged the Department of Justice to prosecute a Trump associate attempting to skirt a subpoena issued by the committee."

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