PARIS — President Joe Biden will close his trip to France by paying his respects at an American military cemetery that Donald Trump passed by during his presidency, hoping that his final stop on Sunday will bring relief to November’s election bettors.
It was a fitting end to five days in which Trump was an unspoken but inescapable presence. On the surface, the trip marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day and celebrated the alliance between the United States and France. But during an election year when Trump is questioning his basic understanding of America’s global role, Biden has embraced his Republican predecessor — and would-be successor — as a latent foil.
Every ode to the transatlantic partnership is a reminder that Trump could destroy the relationship. Every reference to democracy is opposed to a competing effort to cancel the presidential election. The broad push to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia contrasts with Trump’s skepticism about giving US aid.
Biden’s talk of the struggle between democracy and autocracy drew praise in Europe, where the prospect of a return to Trump’s tumultuous administration did not raise concerns. But it remains to be seen how that message will resonate with American voters, as Biden’s campaign struggles to connect the dire warnings the Democratic president often offers to his rival with his everyday concerns.
Biden will end his visit to France by emphasizing the contrast again, as he honors the American war dead at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. Located about an hour northwest of Paris, the cemetery is the final resting place of more than 2,000 US soldiers who fought in World War I.
During a 2018 trip to France, Trump skipped plans to go to the cemetery, a decision the White House blamed on the weather at the time. However, later reports said Trump told his aides he did not want to go because he viewed the dead soldiers as “sucks” and “losers.” Trump has denied the comments, although he was later confirmed by his chief of staff at the time, John Kelly.
Trump’s alleged insults have become a regular feature of Biden’s campaign speeches, including during an April rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
“These soldiers are heroes, just like every American who has served this country,” Biden said. “If you don’t believe it, it just disqualifies the person seeking this office.”
Maura Sullivan, a former Marine officer who served on the American Battle Monuments Commission under President Barack Obama, said Biden’s visit would “set an example, and do what a president should do.” Now an official with the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Sullivan said “voters can draw their own conclusions” from that.
Biden’s trip was full of emotional moments, and the president became heavy after meeting with World War II veterans. A 21-gun salute eerie smoke over 9,388 white marble headstones in the Normandy American Cemetery.
“This is the most incredible trip I’ve ever been on,” Biden said on Saturday night, his last stop in Paris before returning to the US.
His remarks in the past few days were also laced with political undertones.
On Thursday at a ceremony commemorating Normandy, Biden said D-Day was a reminder that alliances make the United States stronger, calling it “a lesson I hope the American people never forget.” She also highlights how the war effort draws attention to immigrants, women and people of color who are too often overlooked in history.
Then on Friday, he went to Pointe du Hoc, the spot on the coast where Army Rangers scaled the cliffs to overcome the Nazi defenses on D-Day which was also the site in 1984 of one of President Ronald Reagan’s most memorable speeches about the struggle between the West and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
By following in the footsteps of good Republicans, Biden is honing his appeal to traditional conservatives who are often frustrated by Trump’s isolationist vision. Biden issued a call for Americans to protect democracy like Rangers scaling a cliff, a message that aligned with his campaign rhetoric portraying electoral opponents as an existential threat to US values.
While Biden was in France, his campaign announced that it had hired former chief of staff to former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger to lead outreach to GOP voters. Kinzinger clashed with Trump’s foreign policy and efforts to overturn the last presidential election.
At Pointe du Hoc, Biden said the Army Rangers “fought to defeat the hateful ideologies of the 30s and 40s. Does anyone doubt that they would not move heaven and earth to defeat the hateful ideologies of today?
Trump, for his part, said the US should pay more attention to its own problems and less to foreign alliances and entanglements. He also regularly played down the importance of American partnerships, suggesting that the US could abandon its commitment to defend its European allies if they do not pay enough for their own defense.
Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian who wrote a book about Pointe du Hoc and Reagan’s speeches, said Biden “has big shoes to fill” by choosing the same location.
Biden’s speech “didn’t equal Reagan’s greatness, nor could it,” Brinkley said. Still, Biden said he “said the right words about why democracy is important.”
Paul Begala, a veteran Democratic strategist, said it could help Biden politically “to stand where Reagan stood.”
He noted that Biden is struggling with younger voters but seems to be gaining strength among older people who may be more fond of remembering Reagan’s speeches four decades ago.
“They need a lot of Reagan Republicans to balance the challenge with younger voters,” he said.
Biden’s trip was also punctuated by a state visit to Paris.
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a ceremony at the Arc du Triomphe, where four fighter jets flew overhead, and hosted a party at the Elysee presidential palace.
“United we stand, divided we fall,” Macron said in a toast to Biden. “We are allies, and our allies will remain.”
Overall, Biden’s visit was slower than other foreign trips. The 81-year-old president made no public appearances on his first day in Paris after arriving on an overnight flight, and did not hold a press conference with reporters, as is customary. John Kirby, a national security spokesman, said it was necessary to prepare “before heavy engagement” in the coming days.
“There’s a lot on the calendar,” he said.
However, this contrasts with Macron’s tendency to offer prestigious guests a robust schedule with a mix of official meetings, business discussions, cultural events and private dinners at luxury restaurants.
When the 46-year-old French leader hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping last month, his two-day agenda was packed with activities including a trip to the Pyrenees Mountains near the border with Spain where Macron spent time as a child.
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Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report.
