COLUMBIA: Former President Joe Biden returned to South Carolina on Friday for a Democratic Party reception marking six years since his pivotal 2020 primary victory, using the event to deliver a sharp critique of President Donald Trump’s approach to U.S. history and America’s role abroad. Biden, in a rare public appearance, was introduced by Rep. Jim Clyburn and addressed supporters at an art museum in downtown Columbia, as party leaders framed the night as a thank you to the voters who helped propel him to the nomination.
Biden said the country was in a dark period and argued that Trump’s administration was attempting to scrub or soften parts of the national record rather than confront them. He pointed to disputes involving museums and national parks, saying Americans should be able to learn about slavery and other painful chapters without political filtering. Biden cast the debate as a test of civic honesty and said the United States is strongest when it acknowledges its full history instead of narrowing what is presented to the public.
His remarks landed amid federal actions that have placed the presentation of history under heightened scrutiny. Trump in March 2025 signed an executive order, Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, directing reviews of federally supported institutions and programming. The White House later called for an internal review of Smithsonian exhibitions and materials, describing an effort to align public-facing content with a more celebratory account of American heritage and to remove narratives it characterized as divisive.
Federal history policy dispute
Biden portrayed those moves as part of a broader rollback of standards and guardrails that shape public institutions, including those tied to civil rights and education. He urged Democrats to stay engaged in public life and local politics, arguing that what is taught and displayed in national institutions helps define the country’s identity. The former president also said the fight over historical memory was connected to other domestic issues, including health care and the government’s responsibility to treat citizens equally.
On foreign policy, Biden argued that the United States’ standing has slipped and said the change is measurable. He cited findings from the Pew Research Center’s 2025 global attitudes survey showing majorities in most countries surveyed lacked confidence in Trump’s leadership on world affairs and that U.S. image declined in many places. Biden said weakening confidence in Washington reduces U.S. influence and increases the likelihood that rival powers set terms in key regions and institutions.
Politics and the presidency
Biden also warned supporters about election integrity and accused Trump of attempting to tilt the political playing field. He criticized Trump’s policy direction on the Affordable Care Act, saying the administration is working to dismantle protections that expanded coverage. Biden also mocked the length of Trump’s State of the Union address earlier this week and said the speech failed to grapple with issues he considers central, including major international conflicts and domestic tragedies highlighted in recent national debate.
The evening in Columbia doubled as a reminder of the coalition that helped lift Biden from early setbacks in 2020, when Clyburn’s endorsement preceded Biden’s decisive South Carolina win and reshaped the Democratic race. Biden has often described South Carolina as a second home because of longstanding political relationships and family time in the state. Since leaving office, he has kept a limited public schedule and disclosed a diagnosis of prostate cancer that has spread to the bone, with his office saying he has been receiving radiation and hormone therapy – By Content Syndication Services.