If you needed further proof of the stakes of this election, Thursday provided a stark contrast.
In the morning, President Joe Biden commemorated the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing on the beaches of Normandy, France, in which Allied troops fought to free Europe from the Nazis.
“Here we proved that the ideals of our democracy are stronger than any army or combination of armies in the entire world,” Biden said during his address in Normandy, warning of “the price of unchecked tyranny.”
Hours later, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump took the stage at a rally in Phoenix and called the trial that led to his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records “fake” and railed against Biden’s recent immigration order.
“I won’t say it because I don’t like using the word bulls— in front of these beautiful children,” Trump said, leading the crowd to begin chanting the word.
The contrast between the leaders of our nation’s two major political parties is startling.
You could call it the return of the split-screen presidency. The current president, on the left side of your television screen, used the stirring rhetoric of his predecessors to talk about one of America’s finest moments. The former president, on the right side of your screen, railed against the judicial system and encouraged foul-mouthed chants.
The contrast between the leaders of our nation’s two major political parties is startling. Biden has rallied the world to build the strongest international alliance against tyranny since the 1940s to help Ukraine as he works to provide domestic relief on everything from student debt to high prescription drug costs. Meanwhile, Trump spends his time sharing vindictive memes, ranting about his conviction and suggesting that he might seek to jail his political opponents if he wins re-election.
One candidate works to strengthen democracies around the globe, while the other seeks to undermine it right here at home.
This is not hyperbole. Trump has already told us that he is ready to be a dictator “on Day One.” Republicans might argue that he’s just joking, but he’s not a comedian. He’s a former president who wants to regain power in order to punish those who opposed him. We should take his words seriously.
Many Americans don’t believe Trump will go as rogue as his inflammatory rhetoric suggests, but the guardrails that kept him in check during his first term are long gone. There is now a 6-3 conservative supermajority on the U.S. Supreme Court. In a possible second term, Trump would fill his Cabinet and his administration with even more “Yes men.” And the few in Congress who previously dared to stand up to him have either left or capitulated.
Republicans in the House also mirror Trump’s isolationist views. In April, Speaker Mike Johnson relied on the votes of Democrats to push through $60.8 billion in aid as 112 Republicans voted against helping Ukraine in its war against Russia. Trump did not endorse the aid package and sought to place the responsibility for fighting Russian aggression solely on the shoulders of our European allies.
On the campaign trail, Trump leans into his “America First” worldview to fire up his base. At a rally in February, he suggested he would encourage Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” if President Vladimir Putin attacked a NATO nation that didn’t spend enough of its own money to cover the alliance’s defense costs.
We should take him at his word.
Dangerous remarks like that are far more than just fiery campaign rhetoric. These remarks could further embolden autocrats in a moment in world history where authoritarianism is on the rise, even as Biden draws attention to this threat to Americans and those across the world during his trip to France.
As more Americans start tuning into the 2024 presidential race, they’ll see the sharp contrast between Biden and Trump expand well beyond foreign policy. Biden is fighting to ease the burden of student loans. Trump wants to “cut the Department of Education.” The Biden-Harris administration made historic investments in climate action. Trump suggested he would gut environmental agencies. Biden wants women to make their own choices when it comes to their bodies. Trump will allow states to continue to police the bodies of women in even more drastic ways. To put it simply: Biden is focused on leadership and governing. Donald Trump is focused on destruction and distractions. To put it simply: Biden is focused on leadership and governing. Trump is focused on destruction and distractions. This week, Biden took new executive action to address an influx of people arriving at the southern border. He signed the executive order as an alternative to a bill that Trump helped torpedo in February so that he could campaign on the issue instead. After Biden took action to address the complexities of global migration, Trump uploaded a xenophobic, rambling rant on social media. Generating likes and views on social media to score points with the Republican base doesn’t solve problems. The choice before voters in 2024 is far from normal. Presidential elections are supposed to be a robust exchange of ideas where candidates tout their records and vision for the future. Biden’s future is about the possibilities of America. Trump’s future is about retribution for him. All this being said, this election will be close. And looking away won’t change the fact Donald Trump has a real chance at winning back the presidency. Elections are about choices. Just like the Allied troops on D-Day had a choice to make, so do we. On Thursday, Biden ended his remarks by saying “let us be the generation that when history is written about our time … 80 years from now — it will be said: When the moment came, we met the moment. We stood strong. Our alliances were made stronger. And we saved democracy in our time as well.” That is the choice. For more thought-provoking insights from Symone Sanders-Townsend, Michael Steele and Alicia Menendez, watch “The Weekend” every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. ET on MSNBC.
Symone D. Sanders Townsend is an author and a co-host of "The Weeknight."
Lynox Norman
Lynox Norman is a segment producer for "The Weekend" on MSNBC. 
