On Monday, January 18th, President Joe Biden attended the National Action Network’s (NAN) Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast at the New York Public Library in Manhattan.
During his keynote address, the President issued an ultimatum to those who wish to challenge the federal government: “If you want to take on the United States of America, you need some F-15s for air power, not an AR-15.”
Biden’s speech marked a continuation of his stance on gun control since taking office. In 2020 he promised that gun reform would be one of his top priorities as President and has since proposed several pieces of legislation intended to achieve that goal.
Biden: "There is no social redeeming value [to assault weapons]… I love my right-wing friends talking about how the tree of liberty is watered with the blood of patriots. If you want to take on the federal government, you need some f-15s. You don't need an AR-15." pic.twitter.com/b52CW3byiq
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 16, 2023
This latest statement could be seen in line with those initiatives; arguing that any attempt to challenge federal authority should be met with overwhelming force against small arms.
Equally interesting is how social media reacted to Joe Biden’s speech at the MLK breakfast – specifically when it comes to his comments about F-15s vs AR-15s. Not surprisingly, many conservatives disagreed with him strongly while others saw it as just another example of how out-of-touch politicians can become when attempting to address complex social problems such as gun violence prevention.
Biden’s MLK speech was an anti-Republican campaign speech. Exploiting the public attention the holiday offered for a divisive partisan political rant. Particularly at this moment of tensions over racial issues, MLK and the country deserved better.
— Mike Columbo (@MikeColumboEsq) January 16, 2023
The Taliban didn’t need them to send you packing. https://t.co/0ne8Coe0hW
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) January 16, 2023
Biden, once again mocks people Right to Bear Arms, saying they would need an F-15 to go against the government. This was in his MLK speech that literally was all about Joe. I can't believe this guy gets away with saying things like this! He's 10x the crook of any other president
— David Kenney (@Dk1979) January 16, 2023
On the other hand, liberals seemed generally supportive, believing that only powerful military technology should ever be used against American citizens by their own government in civilian settings such as protests or demonstrations against federal authority.
This is not the first time Biden has suggested using overwhelming force against the American people, should they oppose his rule.
Last August, Biden declared that “brave right-wing Americans” invested in “keeping America’s [sic] independent and safe” will “need an F-15” to “fight against the country.” Biden added, “You need something a little more than a gun.”
As the line received laughter from the crowd, Biden continued, “No, I’m not joking, think about this. Think about the rationale we use.”
NOW – Biden: "For those brave right-wing Americans… if you want to fight against the country, you need an F-15. You need something little more than a gun." pic.twitter.com/ce3BJEEo7G
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) August 30, 2022
