American politician Joe Biden anchored his 2020 Presidential candidacy on three fundamental pillars: the Battle for the Soul of our Nation, the Need to Rebuild our Middle Class, and a Call For Unity.

[2] In August 2017, a piece in the Atlantic was published entitled "We Are Living Through a Battle for the Soul of This Nation," referring to the events of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and then-President Trump's public response to it.

During the primary election season in April 2019, Biden echoed a similar message in a video, calling it "home to a defining moment for this nation.

"[1][3] Following his victory in the 2020 United States presidential election, Biden again referred to this theme, saying "in this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed.

A main theme of the speech was Donald Trump and his political allies, so-called "MAGA Republicans", whom Biden described as a threat to the country and democracy.

"[15] Then House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wrote on Twitter that, "President Biden has chosen to divide, demean, and disparage his fellow Americans — simply because they disagree with his policies."

And if you don't call it out, you are shrinking from an important challenge in the defense of democracy.”[17] The prime time address was not televised by any of the Big Three American broadcasting networks.

Some pundits applauded the overall tone, while The Guardian called it "dark", and New York Magazine said the speech prompted "numerous comparisons of Biden to Hitler and Satan".