White House aides made clear they hoped President Joe Biden’s trip to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion would draw comparisons to President Ronald Reagan.
However, Biden is now facing allegations he went too far in seeking to generate those comparisons.
On Friday, video of his speech at Pointe du Hoc — where Reagan delivered his famous “The Boys of Pointe du Hoc” speech on the 40th anniversary of D-Day — surfaced. And conservative commentator Clay Travis shared a video comparing the two speeches.
“At last the hour had come, dawn, 6th of June, 1944, 225 American Rangers arrived by ship, jumped into the waves, and stormed onto the beach,” Biden said at the beginning of speech.
Reagan began, “At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs.”
Biden went on, “Gunfire rained above them, but still they kept coming. Nazi grenades thrown from above exploded against the cliffs, but still they kept coming.”
The video cut and showed Reagan stating, “The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers — the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb.”
In another part of the clip, Biden says, “They launched their ladders, their ropes and grappling hooks and began to climb. When the Nazis cut their ladders, the Rangers used their ropes, when the Nazis cut their ropes, the Rangers used their hands.”
“They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again,” Reagan said.
Watch the video below:
Biden added, “Inch by inch, foot by foot, yard by yard, the Rangers clawed, literally clawed, their way up this mighty precipice until at last they reached the top… They turned in that one effort the tide of the war that began to save world.
“They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe,” Reagan stated.
Politico noted earlier this week, Biden’s aides “studied the Reagan trip closely and are looking to similarly capture the attention of a distracted, disillusioned public and remind them of how much is still at stake. Not only is Biden expected to echo Reagan in paying homage to these climactic battles for freedom and democracy, he will deliver his remarks from where Reagan stood, on those iconic cliffs where the war turned.”
