President-elect Joe Biden said that voting is the “noblest” form of nonviolent protest, in what may have been a swipe at the violence and riots that broke out across the country this year.
In a Thanksgiving-themed address to the nation Wednesday that largely focused on finding hope and resilience on the holiday amid the coronavirus pandemic, Biden called on giving thanks for the democratic process.
“First, let’s be thankful for democracy itself,” Biden said. “In this last election, the one that just took place, we’ve seen record numbers of Americans exercise the most sacred right — that of the vote. To register their will at the ballot box.”
He took an apparent swipe at President Trump’s refusal to concede the presidential election.
“Our democracy was tested this year. And what we learned is this: The people of this nation are up to the task,” Biden said. “In America, we have full and fair and free elections, and then, we honor the results of people of this nation. And the laws of the land won’t stand for anything else.”
Biden continued, “Through the vote, the noblest instrument of nonviolent protest ever conceived, we remained anew, and reminded anew, that progress is possible.
During his presidential campaign, Biden faced criticism for not forcefully and frequently condemning the violence that sprung out of the Black Lives Matter protests. Looting erupted in Minneapolis with viral images showing a Target near the 3rd Police Precinct being ransacked. By June 1, at least 140 cities across the country had Black Lives Matter protests, and the National Guard was activated in 21 states. In August, riots and fires in Kenosha, Wisconsin, destroyed blocks of business.
Though Biden did condemn the violence early on, he made a point of doing so more often in the last months of his campaign before the election.
Biden also recognized the frustration that people had in not traveling to be with family for the holiday this year. He mentioned that his family usually travels to be together on Thanksgiving. Each year, except for the year that his son Beau Biden died in 2015, the Biden family has gathered for Thanksgiving in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
“This year, we’ll be staying home,” Biden said, and he encouraged people to keep social distancing: “Don’t let yourself surrender to the fatigue.”
