United States former President Joe Biden took the stage at the National Bar Association’s 100th Annual Awards Gala in Chicago to honor the U.S. civil rights legacy and discuss the current state of the country. Biden emphasized the importance of a strong judicial branch and acknowledged the difficult moment in time that challenges the country to confront hard truths.
He highlighted the ongoing fight for civil rights, which, he stated, is as critical as the tumultuous days of the 1960s, with marginalized groups facing dramatic attacks. The National Bar Association, the oldest and largest network of Black lawyers, judges, and law professors in the U.S., was recognized for its significant contributions to America’s civil rights history.
Biden criticized the current administration for erasing history, quality, and justice, acknowledging the joy with which some politicians witness legal immigrants being torn from their families and dragged away in handcuffs. He urged the audience to face the harsh realities of the present administration, which includes law firms opposing the Trump agenda being targeted with executive orders and folding under pressure to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.
Earlier during the summer, Biden had taken aim at President Donald Trump during a Juneteenth celebration service and a keynote address at the Society for Human Resource Management conference. He maintained that he is “working like hell” to finish his memoir, which will serve as a reflection of his presidency, aiming to shape his legacy while addressing concerns about his mental health and physical fitness that had impacted his final years in office.
In an interview with the New York Times, Biden defended his role in clemency decisions, stating that he orally authorized every pardon and commutation during his term, calling Republicans who claimed otherwise liars. The White House and congressional Republicans amplified these claims, opening investigations into Biden’s ability to make clemency decisions in his final term in office. His advisers have also faced closed-door interviews as part of the Republican-led investigation into Biden’s cognitive decline.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/01/joe-biden-national-bar-association-awards-speech
