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In Buffalo, Biden mourns victims, says 'evil will not win'

In Buffalo, Biden mourns victims, says 'evil will not win'
In America, evil will not win. I promise you hate will not prevail, and white supremacy will not have. The last word for the evil did come to Buffalo has come to all too many places, manifested gunmen who massacred innocent people in the name of hateful and perverse ideology rooted in fear and racism. It's taken so much.
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Updated: 1:01 PM CDT May 17, 2022
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In Buffalo, Biden mourns victims, says 'evil will not win'
AP logo
Updated: 1:01 PM CDT May 17, 2022
Editorial Standards 鈸�
President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned the poison of white supremacy and said the nation must 鈥渞eject the lie鈥� of the racist 鈥渞eplacement theory鈥� espoused by the shooter who killed 10 Black people in Buffalo.Speaking to victims' families, local officials and first responders, Biden said America's diversity is its strength, and warned that the nation must not be be distorted by a 鈥渉ateful minority.鈥濃淭he American experiment in democracy is in danger like it hasn鈥檛 been in my lifetime,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 in danger this hour. Hate and fear being given too much oxygen by those who pretend to love America but who don鈥檛 understand America.鈥滺e declared: 鈥淚n America, evil will not win, I promise you. Hate will not prevail, white supremacy will not have the last word.鈥滲iden's emotional remarks came after he and first lady Jill Biden paid their respects at a makeshift memorial of blossoms, candles and messages of condolence outside the Tops supermarket, where on Saturday a young man armed with an assault rifle targeted Black people in the deadliest racist attack in the U.S. since Biden took office.In Buffalo, the president was confronting anew the forces of hatred he frequently says called him back to seek the White House.鈥淛ill and I have come to stand with you, and to the families, we have come to grieve with you," Biden said. He added: 鈥淣ow鈥檚 the time for people of all races, from every background, to speak up as a majority and American and reject white supremacy.鈥漅eplacement theory is a racist ideology, which has moved from white nationalist circles to mainstream, that alleges white people and their influence are being intentionally 鈥渞eplaced鈥� by people of color.鈥淚t鈥檚 important for him to show up for the families and the community and express his condolences,鈥� said Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e more concerned with preventing this from happening in the future.鈥滻t鈥檚 unclear how Biden will try to do that. Proposals for new gun restrictions have routinely been blocked by Republicans, and racist rhetoric espoused on the fringes of the nation鈥檚 politics has only grown louder.Asked about gun legislation, Biden said at the airport, 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be very difficult. ... I鈥檓 not going to give up trying.鈥滲iden's condemnation of white supremacy is a message he has delivered several times since he became the first president to specifically address it in an inaugural speech, calling it 鈥渄omestic terrorism that we must confront.鈥� However, such beliefs remain an entrenched threat at a time when his administration has been focused on addressing the pandemic, inflation and the war in Ukraine.In his remarks Tuesday, Biden paid tribute to each of the 10 people who lost their lives, describing them as model citizens, beacons of their community and deeply committed to family.Three more people were wounded. Nearly all the victims were Black, including all of those who died.The shooter's hateful writings echoed those of the white supremacists who marched with torches in 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, a scene that Biden said inspired his decision to run against President Donald Trump in 2020 and that drove him to join what he calls the 鈥渂attle for the soul of America."Payton Gendron, 18, was arrested at the supermarket and charged with murder. He has pleaded not guilty.Before the shooting, Gendron is reported to have posted online a screed overflowing with racism and antisemitism. The writer of the document described himself as a supporter of Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black parishioners at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and Brenton Tarrant, who targeted mosques in New Zealand in 2019.Investigators are looking at Gendron's connection to what's known as the 鈥済reat replacement" theory, which baselessly claims white people are being intentionally overrun by other races through immigration or higher birth rates.鈥淚 condemn those who spread the lie for power, political gain and for profit,鈥� Biden said, stopping short of naming those he believes responsible for perpetuating it.The claims are often interwoven with antisemitism, with Jews identified as the culprits. During the 2017 鈥淯nite the Right鈥� march in Charlottesville, the white supremacists chanted 鈥淛ews will not replace us."鈥淭hese actions we鈥檝e seen, these hate-filled attacks, represent the views of a hateful minority," Biden said.鈥淲e have to refuse to live in a country where black people going about a weekly grocery shopping can be gunned down by weapons of war deployed in a racist cause,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e have to refuse live in a country where fear and lies are packaged for power and for profit.鈥滻n the years since Charlottesville, replacement theory has moved from the online fringe to mainstream right-wing politics. A third of U.S. adults believe there is 鈥渁 group of people in this country who are trying to replace native-born Americans with immigrants who agree with their political views,鈥� according to a poll conducted in December by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.Video below: Buffalo not politics, but 'need to uproot evil,' White House saysTucker Carlson, the prominent Fox News host, accuses Democrats of orchestrating mass migration to consolidate their power.鈥淭he country is being stolen from American citizens," he said Aug. 23, 2021. He repeated the same theme a month later, saying that 鈥渢his policy is called the great replacement, the replacement of legacy Americans with more obedient people from faraway countries.鈥滳arlson's show routinely receives the highest ratings in cable news, and he responded to the furor Monday night by accusing liberals of trying to silence their opponents.鈥淪o because a mentally ill teenager murdered strangers, you cannot be allowed to express your political beliefs out loud,鈥� he said.His commentary reflects how this conspiratorial view of immigration has spread through the Republican Party ahead of this year's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.Facebook advertisements posted last year by the campaign committee of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said Democrats want a 鈥淧ERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION鈥� by granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. The plan would "overthrow our current electorate and create a permanent liberal majority in Washington.鈥滱lex DeGrasse, a senior adviser to Stefanik鈥檚 campaign, said Monday she 鈥渉as never advocated for any racist position or made a racist statement." He criticized 鈥渟ickening and false reporting鈥� about her advertisements.Stefanik is the third-ranking leader of the House Republican caucus, replacing Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who angered the party with her denunciations of Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.Cheney, in a tweet on Monday, said the caucus' leadership 鈥渉as enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-Semitism. History has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse.鈥漅eplacement theory rhetoric has also rippled through Republican primary campaigns.Although Biden has not spoken directly about replacement theory, his warnings about racism remain a fixture of his public speeches.Three days before the Buffalo shooting, at a Democratic fundraiser in Chicago, Biden said, "I really do think we鈥檙e still in the battle for the soul of America.鈥漘__Associated Press writer Karen Matthews in New York contributed to this report.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned the poison of white supremacy and said the nation must 鈥渞eject the lie鈥� of the racist espoused by the shooter who killed 10 Black people in Buffalo.

Speaking to victims' families, local officials and first responders, Biden said America's diversity is its strength, and warned that the nation must not be be distorted by a 鈥渉ateful minority.鈥�

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鈥淭he American experiment in democracy is in danger like it hasn鈥檛 been in my lifetime,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 in danger this hour. Hate and fear being given too much oxygen by those who pretend to love America but who don鈥檛 understand America.鈥�

He declared: 鈥淚n America, evil will not win, I promise you. Hate will not prevail, white supremacy will not have the last word.鈥�

Biden's emotional remarks came after he and first lady Jill Biden paid their respects at a makeshift memorial of blossoms, candles and messages of condolence outside the Tops supermarket, where on Saturday a young man armed with an assault rifle targeted Black people in the deadliest racist attack in the U.S. since Biden took office.

In Buffalo, the president was confronting anew the forces of hatred he frequently says called him back to seek the White House.

鈥淛ill and I have come to stand with you, and to the families, we have come to grieve with you," Biden said. He added: 鈥淣ow鈥檚 the time for people of all races, from every background, to speak up as a majority and American and reject white supremacy.鈥�

Replacement theory is a racist ideology, which has moved from white nationalist circles to mainstream, that alleges white people and their influence are being intentionally 鈥渞eplaced鈥� by people of color.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important for him to show up for the families and the community and express his condolences,鈥� said Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e more concerned with preventing this from happening in the future.鈥�

It鈥檚 unclear how Biden will try to do that. Proposals for new gun restrictions have routinely been blocked by Republicans, and racist rhetoric espoused on the fringes of the nation鈥檚 politics has only grown louder.

Asked about gun legislation, Biden said at the airport, 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be very difficult. ... I鈥檓 not going to give up trying.鈥�

Biden's condemnation of white supremacy is a message he has delivered several times since he became the first president to specifically address it in an inaugural speech, calling it 鈥渄omestic terrorism that we must confront.鈥� However, such beliefs remain an entrenched threat at a time when his administration has been focused on addressing the pandemic, inflation and the war in Ukraine.

In his remarks Tuesday, Biden paid tribute to each of the 10 people who lost their lives, describing them as model citizens, beacons of their community and deeply committed to family.

Three more people were wounded. Nearly all the victims were Black, including all of those who died.

The shooter's hateful writings echoed those of the white supremacists who marched with torches in 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, a scene that Biden said inspired against President Donald Trump in 2020 and that drove him to join what he calls the 鈥渂attle for the soul of America."

Payton Gendron, 18, was arrested at the supermarket and charged with murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

Before the shooting, Gendron is reported to have posted online a screed overflowing with racism and antisemitism. The writer of the document described himself as a supporter of Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black parishioners at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and Brenton Tarrant, who targeted mosques in New Zealand in 2019.

Investigators are looking at Gendron's connection to what's known as the , which baselessly claims white people are being intentionally overrun by other races through immigration or higher birth rates.

鈥淚 condemn those who spread the lie for power, political gain and for profit,鈥� Biden said, stopping short of naming those he believes responsible for perpetuating it.

The claims are often interwoven with antisemitism, with Jews identified as the culprits. During the 2017 鈥淯nite the Right鈥� march in Charlottesville, the white supremacists chanted 鈥淛ews will not replace us."

鈥淭hese actions we鈥檝e seen, these hate-filled attacks, represent the views of a hateful minority," Biden said.

鈥淲e have to refuse to live in a country where black people going about a weekly grocery shopping can be gunned down by weapons of war deployed in a racist cause,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e have to refuse live in a country where fear and lies are packaged for power and for profit.鈥�

In the years since Charlottesville, replacement theory has moved from the online fringe to mainstream right-wing politics. A third of U.S. adults believe there is 鈥渁 group of people in this country who are trying to replace native-born Americans with immigrants who agree with their political views,鈥� according to a poll conducted in December by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Video below: Buffalo not politics, but 'need to uproot evil,' White House says

Tucker Carlson, the prominent Fox News host, accuses Democrats of orchestrating mass migration to consolidate their power.

鈥淭he country is being stolen from American citizens," he said Aug. 23, 2021. He repeated the same theme a month later, saying that 鈥渢his policy is called the great replacement, the replacement of legacy Americans with more obedient people from faraway countries.鈥�

Carlson's show routinely receives the highest ratings in cable news, and he responded to the furor Monday night by accusing liberals of trying to silence their opponents.

鈥淪o because a mentally ill teenager murdered strangers, you cannot be allowed to express your political beliefs out loud,鈥� he said.

His commentary reflects how this conspiratorial view of immigration has spread through the Republican Party ahead of this year's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.

Facebook advertisements posted last year by the campaign committee of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said Democrats want a 鈥淧ERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION鈥� by granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. The plan would "overthrow our current electorate and create a permanent liberal majority in Washington.鈥�

Alex DeGrasse, a senior adviser to Stefanik鈥檚 campaign, said Monday she 鈥渉as never advocated for any racist position or made a racist statement." He criticized 鈥渟ickening and false reporting鈥� about her advertisements.

Stefanik is the third-ranking leader of the House Republican caucus, replacing Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who angered the party with her denunciations of Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Cheney, , said the caucus' leadership 鈥渉as enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-Semitism. History has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse.鈥�

Replacement theory rhetoric has also rippled through Republican primary campaigns.

Although Biden has not spoken directly about replacement theory, his warnings about racism remain a fixture of his public speeches.

Three days before the Buffalo shooting, at a Democratic fundraiser in Chicago, Biden said, "I really do think we鈥檙e still in the battle for the soul of America.鈥�

___

Associated Press writer Karen Matthews in New York contributed to this report.