Biden Calls GOP Policies 'Semi-Fascism' At Rockville Rally

Updated at 8:50 p.m. Thursday

ROCKVILLE, MD — Back from a late-summer vacation, President Joe Biden held a fundraiser and. a kickoff rally for the fall elections Thursday night in Rockville, where he compared Republican ideology to “semi-fascism."

“Your right to choose is on the ballot this year. The Social Security you paid for from the time you had a job is on the ballot," Biden said, according to an Associated Press report. "The safety of your kids from gun violence is on the ballot, and it’s not hyperbole, the very survival of our planet is on the ballot.

“You have to choose,” Biden added. “Will we be a country that moves forward or a country that moves backward?”

Democratic nominee for Maryland governor Wes Moore shared the stage with the president. Moore will face Dan Cox in the Nov. 8 general election; Cox is a Republican endorsed by former president Donald Trump.

Moore talked about overcoming his past as a troubled teen with a single mother to a Rhodes scholar, military veteran and nominee for governor, The Washington Post reported. In his speech, Moore promised to invest in education, including apprenticeship and community colleges, and to improve the state’s economy, especially among minority-owned businesses.

The event was intended to boost Democrats’ fortunes 75 days out from the midterm elections, the Associated Press said. Aides say the rally begins what will be an aggressive season of touting his policy victories and aiding his party’s candidates.

The Maryland event comes as Democrats have seen their political hopes rebound in recent months following action in Congress on gun control, infrastructure and domestic technology manufacturing, along with Democrats-only efforts to tackle climate change and health care costs, AP said.

Rockville City Police issued a traffic advisory for the area around Richard Montgomery High School due to President Joe Biden's visit on Thursday afternoon.

Rockville residents and motorists should expect traffic congestion on Route 355 and an increased public safety presence, according to a post on Twitter.

Biden will be holding a rally 4-8 p.m., at the high school, which is located at 250 Richard Montgomery Drive in Rockville. The event will only be opened to registered or invited guess. Attendees will not be allowed into the venue before 4 p.m.

Attendees must enter the high school parking lot from Fleet Street and Richard Montgomery Drive. Parking is limited and invited guests will not be allowed to park at the high school. Attendees are encouraged to use public transportation.

Free parking will be available for this event at the following locations:

• Council Office Building Garage, 225 Monroe St., Rockville
• Montgomery County Jury Lot, 254 Monroe St., Rockville
• Montgomery College - Rockville Campus, 51 Manatee St., Rockville - Public transportation will likely be required in order to reach the venue.
• Montgomery County Public Schools parking lot, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville

Additional parking will be available at the Rockville Metro Station, which is located at 251 Hungerford Drive.

C-SPAN streamed Biden's speech live from Richard Montgomery High School. Watch it on C-Span.org.