Joe Biden primetime speech: Can the US president have Marines present?

US President Joe Biden delivered a fiery primetime speech at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where he mounted a fresh attack on former president Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. The term refers to those who believe in Trump’s Make America Great Again campaign slogan. Biden labelled both parties a threat to US democracy. 

The event was promoted as an official, taxpayer-funded one, to show that the 46th President of the United States considers defeating his predecessor in the upcoming election as a policy aim as much as it is a political one. 

The brick facade of the Independence Hall was illuminated by red and blue lights, while the Marine Band played “Hail to the Chief” and two Marine sentries stood at parade rest in the backdrop.

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Having Marines present during the speech has drawn sharp criticism from both liberals and conservatives, with Fox News carrying a story on CNN reporters critiquing the politicization of the army. 

Brianna Keilar noted, “Whatever you think of this speech the military is supposed to be apolitical. Positioning Marines in uniform behind President Biden for a political speech flies in the face of that. It’s wrong when Democrats do it. It’s wrong when Republicans do it.”

Jeff Zeleny, the channel’s Chief National Affairs Correspondent added, “There’s nothing unusual or wrong with a President delivering a political speech — it’s inherent in the job description — but doing it against a backdrop of two Marines standing at attention and the Marine Band is a break with White House traditions.” 

Despite Zeleny’s observations, many in the US have noted that previous presidents have also used Marine sentries. 

“Biden spoke in front of 2 Marines as other Presidents have done”, one Twitter user commented, while another noted, “Dunno why anyone acting like it’s bizarre. Every POTUS has done it.” 

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Marine sentries are present at the White House, and two of them guard the West Wing. Thus, it isn’t a stretch of the imagination for the president to have them present during his speech. Besides, Philadelphia is the birthplace of the Marines, so Biden’s move seems to be a calculated one. 

The Marine band, which was created when Congress passed the necessary legislation on July 11, 1798, has been called “The President’s Own” due to the historic connection it has with the POTUS. The band has played at several notable moments in US history, including every president’s inauguration. The Hail to the Chief track announces the arrival of the POTUS, and since Biden’s recent speech was as much a part of his policy aim as it was an aspect of his political campaign, the president resorted to using the Marine sentries and band to make a point that’d resonate with the American public.