Joe Biden claims US is facing 'dark days' under President Donald Trump

Former President Joe Biden on Sunday told a Boston audience that the United States is facing "dark days" under President Donald Trump, but that the country is "more powerful than any dictator.”

The former president made the comment while accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.

Biden urged Democratic voters to stay optimistic about the future of the country but not to ignore the Trump administration's alleged attacks on free speech and tests on the limits of executive power.

“Since its founding, America served as a beacon for the most powerful idea ever in government in the history of the world,” Biden said, according to the Associated Press. “The idea is stronger than any army. We’re more powerful than any dictator.” 

The former president reminded the audience that the country's history is "not a fairytale" and said the United States depends on a presidency with limited power, a functioning Congress and an autonomous judiciary.

“Friends, I can’t sugarcoat any of this. These are dark days” Biden said. "[But the U.S. will] find our true compass again [and] emerge as we always have — stronger, wiser and more resilient, more just, so long as we keep the faith.”

The comments come after the Trump administration has taken unconventional paths to fulfill its promises to voters, including by invoking rare war-time powers to deport illegal migrants and reducing the size of the federal government with massive layoffs and reductions in force. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.