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WASHINGTON, Broadcasting news corporation : Facing a barrage of questions on the matter, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday denied that President Biden\u2019s anti-Donald Trump, anti-MAGA speech Thursday night in Philadelphia was \u201cpolitical\u201d \u2014 and that it was fine to have uniformed Marines in the background. Jean-Pierre insisted that Biden\u2019s speech \u2014 in which he attacked his potential 2024 rival three times by name and Trump\u2019s \u201cMake America Great Again\u201d political movement another 13 times \u2014 was an example of \u201cleadership\u201d and not politics. CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond asked Jean-Pierre at her briefing about \u201ccriticisms and questions about why the president delivered what sounded very much like a politically charged speech at an official White House event, taxpayer-funded, with two Marines in uniform.\u201d \u201cThe way we see it here, and I would argue the way many Americans across the country see it, is standing up for democracy is not political,\u201d said Jean-Pierre, who a day earlier labeled people who don\u2019t agree with the majority of Americans as \u201cextreme.\u201d\n\u201cDenouncing political violence is not political. Defending rights and freedom is not political. Making clear that the challenges facing our nation is not political. We don\u2019t call any of that political. We see that as leadership and we see that as presidential. \u201cTo your question about the Marines,\u201d Jean-Pierre went on, \u201cthe president gave an important speech, a critical speech, and at an inflection point. And, you know, our democracy, our values that our men and women who protect us every day, and fight for every day, believe in this. \u201cThe presence of the Marines at the speech was intended to demonstrate the deep and abiding respect the president has for these service members, to these ideals, and the unique role our independent military plays in defending our democracy, no matter which party is in power,\u201d she claimed. \u201cIt is not abnormal,\u201d she insisted. \u201cIt is actually normal for presidents from either side of the aisle to give speeches in front of members of the military, and including President Ronald Reagan, President George H.W. Bush \u2014 it is not an unusual or is not unusual event to have.\u201d
\nThe juxtaposition of the military members drew broad criticism following Biden\u2019s speech. \u201cWhatever you think of this speech the military is supposed to be apolitical. Positioning Marines in uniform behind President Biden for a political speech flies in the face of that. It\u2019s wrong when Democrats do it. It\u2019s wrong when Republicans do it,\u201d tweeted \u201cNew Day\u201d host Brianna Keilar. That tweet and another from fellow CNN correspondent Jeff Zeleny critical of the use of the Marines as a backdrop sparked outrage among Democrats online. NEWS COLLECTED FROM NEW YORK POST.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"