A Washington DC police officer watches a Black Lives Matter rally near the White House, July 4, 2020 (José Luis Magaña/AFP/Getty)

In a July 4 video address, Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden denounces racism and calls for “a full share of the American dream” for all.

In the 97-second speech, Biden opens, “Our country was founded on an idea: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'” He then cited the recent course of US history, from the Civil War through the assassination of Martin Luther King to the May 25 murder of George Floyd that spurred Black Lives Matter marches, to appeal:

These words have gnawed at our conscience and pulled us toward justice. American history is no fairy tale. It’s been a constant push-and-pull between two parts of our character: the idea that all men and women—all people—are created equal, and the racism that has torn us apart.

We have a chance now, to give the marginalized, the demonized, the isolated, the oppressed, a full share of the American dream. We have a chance to rip the roots of systemic racism out of this country. We have a chance to live up to the words that founded this nation.

In an article for the NBC website, Biden pledged “immediate action to reverse the damage Donald Trump has done to our core democratic rights and institutions”.

This includes protection of the right to vote; reversal of Trump’s anti-immigration and anti-asylum measures and of the “Muslim Ban” on entry into the US; and assurance of the independence of the judiciary and the freedom of our press.

It means rooting out systemic racism from every area of society it infects — from unfairly administered COVID-19 recovery funds, to laws that perpetuate racial wealth gaps, to health disparities, to housing policy, to policing, to our justice system and everywhere in between.

Biden’s statements were a sharp contrast to the weekend performances of Donald Trump, on Friday before Mount Rushmore and on Saturday at an event in Washington DC.

On Friday, he labelled the anti-racism marches as “a new far-left fascism”. Yesterday he repeated his portrayal, “We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children, or trample on our freedoms.”

Trump’s Coronavirus Denials Sideline Fauci; Death Toll Almost 130,000

Having ignored the Coronavirus pandemic in the South Dakota appearance, Trump declared on Saturday, “We’ve made a lot of progress….We’ve learned to put out the flame” and “99% of [cases] are totally harmless”.

The US death toll reached 129,676 on Saturday. There are 2,839,436 confirmed cases, with a rise of 45,065 in 24 hours.

There have been six records for daily cases in the past 10 days, with infections rising in 46 of 50 states. Florida (11,458 new cases) and Texas (8,258) set new high marks on Saturday.

But the Trump camp ignored social distancing at both weekend events, even as the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, tested positive for the virus.

Far from heeding the guidance of White House medical and public health experts, Trump has sidelined them because of their warning over the resurgence of the virus.

An official said the White House is blocking appearances on US TV by Dr. Anthony Fauci, its top infectious diseases expert.

Fauci warned last week, in testimony to a Senate hearing, that the Coronavirus death toll “will be very disturbing” and that the US is “going in the wrong direction”.

Fauci’s last appearance on American television was on June 12. To bypass the White House block, Fauci has been speaking to podcasts, webcasts, and foreign outlets such as the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Task Force director, and Center for Diseases Control head Robert Redfield have also been near-absent.

The Task Force has only held one public briefing since early May, after Donald Trump was ridiculed for his suggestion that ingesting disinfectant will cure Coronavirus.

See TrumpWatch, Day 1,192: Coronavirus — “Disinfectant” Trump Retreats and Looks for a Scapegoat