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The White House on Friday brushed off criticism for positioning U.S. Marines on stage for President Biden’s speech in which he smeared his political opponents as anti-democratic extremists.
Several advocates for military veterans, including former a Democratic Party official, criticized Mr. Biden for delivering a politically-charged address with Marines “as props.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it “is normal for presidents from either side of the aisle to give speeches in front of the military.”
“The presence of the Marines at the speech was intended to demonstrate the deep and abiding respect the president has for these service members,” she said.
Still, the backlash was growing. Complaints came from across the political spectrum that Mr. Biden had overstepped a sacrosanct boundary meant to keep the military out of politics.
Soon after Mr. Biden concluded his remarks, CNN anchor Brianna Keilar criticized the president for positioning Marines in the background.
“Whatever you think of this speech the military is supposed to be apolitical,” she wrote on Twitter. “Positioning Marines in uniform behind President Biden for a political speech flies in the face of that.
