Biden urges Maryland Democrats to ‘get up’ and fight Trump at party gala

Former President Joe Biden fed red meat to the Maryland Democratic Party’s faithful Saturday night, blasting President Donald Trump and urging them to fight.

From Trump’s cozying up to Russia’s Vladimir Putin to putting his name on the Kennedy Center and earning billions while in office, Trump represents “corruption on a scale never seen before,” Biden said.

“It’s simply stunning to me,” Biden said. “He has no shame, and frankly it’s embarrassing for the country. But Trump? Trump could care less.”

Biden, in his post-presidency, hasn’t always been embraced by the Democratic Party. Some members harbor resentment that he began running for a second term and then withdrew too late for a competitive nomination process. Others simply want to move forward, rather than looking back at the past.

National Democratic leaders are under renewed pressure from the progressive wing of the party, especially since New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani backed three democratic socialist candidates for Congress to primary victories this week. Biden represents a more centrist wing.

Biden, 83, has been selective about his public events, including recently appearing in Chicago for the dedication of former President Barack Obama’s presidential library.

No animosity was on display Saturday, as Biden was warmly welcomed with a standing ovation at the “Fight Back & Win” gala at The Hall at Live! Casino in Hanover.

The former president’s roughly 10-minute speech was punctuated by multiple applause lines and closed with another standing ovation.

Biden coughed a few times at the start of his speech but soon got into a rhythm.

“We’ve faced dark, difficult times before. But there’s one thing I know about the American people: We never give up, and we can’t give up now,” Biden said.

Biden recalled the push he always got from his father when he was down, telling him, “Get up, Joe.”

He built excitement in the crowd, saying: “To all you who love our country, my message tonight is straightforward and simple: Get up, dammit. Get up now. Continue this fight!”

Biden exhorted the crowd to return the United States to “the country we know we can be: fair, equal, honest, decent. A country where we give hate no safe harbor.”

Biden wrapped up his speech by commanding the crowd: “We can do this, and we will. We just need to remember who in the hell we are. We’re the United States of America! There is nothing beyond our capacity if we work together!”

The parade of elected officials who gave warmup speeches praised Biden.

Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller told the audience a story of Biden calling her 86-year-old mother to wish her a happy birthday. It was an example, Miller said, of Biden not feeling too important to take the time “to make one person feel very important.”

“You remind us what public service is meant to be,” Miller said.

Gov. Wes Moore praised Biden for his support in the wake of the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was struck by a cargo ship.

“While President Biden might not be a Marylander by birth, President Biden showed us all what it meant to be Maryland tough and Baltimore strong,” Moore said.

Controversial or not, landing an ex-president for the gala was a step up for Maryland Democrats. The event is often headlined by a member of Congress or another state’s governor.

The gala was a thank-you exercise for candidates and volunteers involved in the primary election and a pep rally heading into the general election season. There were a few gentle nudges to put hurt feelings aside and rally behind the victors in contested Democratic races.

As expected at a partisan Democratic event, there was plenty of bashing and bellyaching over Trump and the Republican-led Congress from the speakers.

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen expressed relief that he was “off of Republican-occupied Capitol Hill and in the free state of Maryland.”

Democrats are dominant in Maryland, with more than twice as many registered voters as Republican have and holding all major statewide offices. Still, some party faithful have viewed leadership as complacent.

Maryland Democratic Party Chair Steuart Pittman conducted a statewide listening tour in recent months, and he heard that Democrats wanted more training and support.

In response to that feedback, the party put on a daylong summit ahead of the gala featuring sessions for candidates, campaign workers and volunteers.

“Democrats said during that tour that we are in a moment of historic opportunity and that this party must do more,” said Pittman, who also is the Anne Arundel County executive.

The summit and gala raised at least $250,000 for the party’s coffers, according to party officials.

The Maryland Republican Party will host its gala Tuesday. Called the Red, White & Blue Dinner, it will be headlined by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.