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< Biden visits a military cemetery that Trump reportedly said was 'filled with losers'

Biden visits a military cemetery that Trump reportedly said was 'filled with losers'

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

President Biden has returned from a five-day trip to France. His trip leaned heavily on history and symbolism to sell his view of American values at home and abroad. NPR's senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith traveled with the president and has this report.

TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: In a short and somber ceremony before leaving France, President Biden went to one of the most storied sites of World War I, Belleau Wood. He walked up to a wreath and hovered his hands over the red, white and blue flowers, as if delivering a blessing. He made the sign of the cross and stepped back to stand at attention. On his way to the motorcade, Biden stopped to talk to reporters.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Jill and I wanted to come and pay our respects. And it matters a lot.

KEITH: More than 2,200 Marines are buried at Aisne-Marne, their graves marked with white stone crosses. This is where the Americans prevailed against German forces on the march towards Paris. But the losses were severe. Earlier in the trip, Biden had been to Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the American cemetery there. Now he was at another cemetery, honoring the war dead once again.

BIDEN: The idea that I'd come to Normandy and not make the short trip here to pay tribute - and it's the same story. Think about it. America showed up. America showed up to stop the Germans. America showed up to make sure that they did not prevail.

KEITH: Biden showed up here to make a point. Back in 2018, then-President Donald Trump was supposed to visit this cemetery to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. But he bailed because of rain. At the time, his press secretary said helicopters couldn't fly, and a motorcade would have taken too long. But later the Atlantic magazine reported that Trump didn't want to go and had referred to the war dead as suckers and losers. Trump denies it. The Republican National Committee again said yesterday that the story was false. Biden recounts it regularly in campaign speeches. But yesterday, he pointedly didn't answer a question about Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: You've criticized President Trump for not coming here on his trip. What message are you hoping to send to voters by being here right now?

BIDEN: Any other questions?

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Mr. President, what's been the most memorable...

KEITH: Throughout Biden's time in France, he drove a message about the importance of alliances and standing up to tyrants and the need to defend freedom and democracy, even at great cost. But because Trump has promoted isolationist foreign policy and quipped about being a dictator on day one, a ceremonial trip for Biden took on a subtext, drawing a contrast with his political rival, even as he avoided saying his name.

Tamara Keith, NPR News.

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