Biden Marks Memorial Day With Message About Freedom as Trump Lashes Out

President Biden paid tribute to veterans who died in America’s wars at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, hailing them as “a link in the chain of honor” who deserve recognition for protecting the nation’s democracy.

“Freedom has never been guaranteed,” Mr. Biden said in a nine-minute Memorial Day address, moments after placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

“Every generation has to earn it. Fight for it. Defend it in battle between autocracy and democracy,” he said of the nation’s veterans. “Our democracy is more than just a system of government. It’s the very soul of America.”

His somber message was a sharp contrast to that of former President Donald J. Trump, his challenger for re-election this year, who posted an angry and incendiary Memorial Day message on his social media site.

“Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country,” the former president wrote on Truth Social.

Listening to President Biden on Monday. “Our fallen heroes have brought us closer today,” he said, adding, “We have a responsibility to be the keepers of their mission.”Credit…Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times