'He must be insane, or suffering from late stage dementia!' Trump slams Biden after 'awkward and angry' Philadelphia speech and calls on someone to explain MAGA to him 'slowly but passionately'
- Donald Trump took to his Truth Social account late on Thursday to slam Biden's 'awkward and angry' speech
- The ex-president called on someone to explain to his successor what MAGA meant, 'slowly but passionately'
- Trump also accused the 79-year-old of 'threatening America, including with the possible use of military force'
- Earlier Biden had taken to stage at Independence Hall in Philadelphia where he furiously denounced Trump
- He accused him of 'destroying American democracy' and slammed him saying the 2020 election was stolen
- Biden also branded him - and MAGA Republicans who follow him - as 'extremism that threatens our republic'
- In October 2020, Biden said: 'Instead of treating each other’s party as the opposition, we treat them as the enemy. This must end!'
Donald Trump launched a seething attack on President Joe Biden where he branded him 'insane' and asked if he was 'suffering from late stage dementia' after the president claimed he was a 'threat to democracy'.
The furious former president took to his Truth Social account to slam the 'awkward and angry' speech outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia - and called on someone to explain to his successor what MAGA means, 'slowly but passionately'.
The late night rant also saw him accuse the 79-year-old of 'threatening America, including with the possible use of military force' as he fought back at the brutal address to the nation.
Hours earlier Biden had taken to the stage at Independence Hall in Philadelphia where he launched an incensed attack on Trump and accused him of 'destroying American democracy'.
Standing on the darkened stage with ominous red lighting, the president called Trump out by name and slammed him for promoting the claim the 2020 election was stolen.
Biden also branded him - and MAGA Republicans who follow him - as 'extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic'.
Despite being greeted by warm applause throughout the speech, Biden's night was overshadowed by hecklers who chanted 'f*** Joe Biden' and 'Let's Go Brandon' as well as the fact most major news networks did not air his address live. Only CNN and MSNBC did.
It was a speech that sparked huge backlash from Republicans accusing him of being divisive, and reminded Biden that in October 2020, he said: 'Instead of treating each other’s party as the opposition, we treat them as the enemy. This must end!'
In November 2020 hje tweeted: 'To make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as enemies. We are not enemies.'
Biden declared Donald Trump is a 'threat to the country' in a speech that contained his harshest rhetoric to date about his predecessor in the Oval Office and the MAGA movement
Standing on the darkened stage with ominous red lighting, the president called Trump out by name and slammed him for promoting the claim the 2020 election was stolen
'I will not stand by and watch. I will not let the will of the American people be overturned by wild conspiracy theories and baseless evidence-free claims and fraud. I will not stand by and watch elections in this country stolen by people who simply refused to accept that they lost,' the president said
Republican Senator Ted Cruz said: 'Tonight, Joe Biden vilified millions of Americans in a divisive & angry speech that was detached from the reality of his political failures. He isn’t actually interested in restoring the soul of the nation, he’s only interested pitting his fellow Americans against one another.'
Trump quickly hit back at the speech on his Truth Social, posting: 'Someone should explain to Joe Biden, slowly but passionately, that MAGA means, as powerfully as mere words can get, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
'If he doesn't want to Make America Great Again, which through words, action, and thought, he doesn't, then he certainly should not be representing the United States of America!
'If you look at the words and meaning of the awkward and angry Biden speech tonight, he threatened America, including with the possible use of military force. He must be insane, or suffering from late stage dementia!'
He also shared an uncaptioned image of Biden with the dark red lighting on the stage with his arms raised in fists next to a picture of himself kissing the American flag.
Earlier in the evening Biden attacked Trump by name in a 24-minute speech from Independence Hall in Philadelphia in his most direct attack on his predecessor to date.
He said: 'Equality and democracy are under assault. We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise,' Biden declared at the top of his remarks before Philadelphia's Independence Hall.
He called out Trump by name, slamming the former president for his false claim the 2020 election was stolen and berating those who support Trump.
'Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represented extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic,' Biden said to great applause from his supporters.
He made it clear he doesn't think every Republican is 'extreme' or a threat but said 'there's no question that the Republican party today is dominated, driven and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans.'
'And that is a threat to this country,' he said. 'Too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal.'
Biden attacked Trump by name in a 24-minute speech from Independence Hall in Philadelphia in his most direct attack on his predecessor to date. He said: 'Equality and democracy are under assault. We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise,' Biden declared at the top of his remarks before Philadelphia's Independence Hall
Jill Biden joined President Biden on stage after his remarks
The White House said Biden wouldn't be giving a political speech, but he took direct aim at Trump, who is mulling a 2024 challenge to Biden, and at Republicans, who are attempting to win control of Congress in the midterm election
Naomi Biden and her fiance Peter Neal, who are getting married in the White House in November, flew with the president and first lady to Philadelphia for President Biden's speech
Biden accused Trump and his supporters of trying to thwart free elections, disrespecting the constitution and taking the country backwards in terms of personal rights.
'MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They did not believe in the rule of law. They did not recognize the will of the people,' he said. 'They refused to accept the results of a free election.'
'You can't love your country only when you win,' Biden said. It was a marked change in tone for Biden, who, previously, rarely mentioned Trump by name, usually calling him 'the former guy.'
His speech took place right before Labor Day, the traditional kickoff time for political campaign season. But the address to the nation was largely ignored by TV stations, with ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, Fox News and Fox Business choosing not to air it live. Only CNN and MSNBC did.
Biden and his Democrats are trying to keep control of Congress in November's midterm election. During his remarks, the president was hounded by protesters who, outside the national park, chanted: 'Let's go, Brandon' and 'F*** Joe Biden.'
Siren noises, shouts and someone yelling on a bullhorn were audible in the background throughout his 25-minute speech. Biden spoke from behind bullet-proof glass.
The president even addressed the hecklers: 'Notwithstanding the folks you hear on the other side – They're entitled to be outrageous. This is a democracy.'
'Good manners is nothing they've ever suffered from,' he added. The president painted a picture of a dystopian society of Republicans win the 2022 and 2024 elections.
'MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards; backwards to an America where there is no right to choose no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love,' he warned.
'They promote authoritarian leaders and they fanned the flames of political violence that are a threat to our personal rights, to the pursuit of justice to the rule of law, to the very soul of this country.'
President Joe Biden called out Donald Trump by name in his remarks and slammed his and his supporters for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election
President Joe Biden speaks with historic Independence Hall lit up behind him in the background
President Joe Biden gives first lady Jill Biden a kiss after he finished his speech
Marines salute as the president and first lady walk on stage
And, Biden charged, Republicans will try to steal elections again. 'They see their MAGA failure to stop a peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election as preparation for the 2022 and 2024 elections.
'They're tried everything last time to notify the votes of 81 million people,' he said. 'This time they're determined to succeed at thwarting the will of the people.'
Ahead his remarks, the White House said Biden wasn't giving a political speech. But he took direct aim at Trump, who is mulling a 2024 challenge to Biden, and at Republicans, who are attempting to win control of Congress in the midterm election.
'We need everyone to do their part. So speak up, speak out, get engaged, vote, vote, vote,' the president said during his speech.
And Biden vowed to stand up for the republic, setting himself up as the defender of democracy.
'I will not stand by and watch. I will not let the will of the American people be overturned by wild conspiracy theories and baseless evidence treat claims of fraud.
'I will not stand by and watch elections in this country stolen by people who simply refused to accept that they lost,' he said.
'As your president I will defend our democracy with every fiber of my being and I'm asking every American to join me.'
Biden also directed comments specifically at MAGA Republicans who refuse to accept the 2020 election results, after court cases, state 'audits,' and dozens of court suits failed to uncover massive fraud.
Since Biden took office, Trump allies have been able to install people who deny the election results in state capitols in several states, and scores of GOP officials still won't say Biden's election was legitimate.
'They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow of lies,' Biden said in another one of his MAGA attacks.
He specifically called them out for denying his election win. 'This is a nation that respects free and fair elections. We honor the will of the people – we do not deny it,' the president said.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave as they prepare to leave the stage
First lady Jill Biden embraces a greeter as President Joe Biden talks with Pennsylvania's Governor Tom Wolf after arriving at Philadelphia International Airport
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Then he rolled out a line that seemed aimed straight at Trump. He said he wouldn't allow the will of the American people to be 'overturned by wild conspiracy theories and baseless evidence-free claims of fraud.
'I will not stand by and watch elections in this country stolen by people who simply refuse to accept that they lost.' It's unclear how many saw his remarks.
None of the three major broadcast networks carried his speech. CNN and MSNBC did and it was available for viewing online.
Biden brought the trappings of the presidency with him: two Marines came out ahead of him to stand at attention during his entrance. 'Hail to the Chief' played him on stage. Jill Biden accompanied him on the trip.
The president also used a historic backdrop to make his point: he spoke outside of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, the site where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and adopted by America's founding fathers.
Red and blue lights bathed the building as Biden spoke with the bright red lighting framing the president as he spoke. Several American flags lined the stage.
Trump, meanwhile, remains a force to be reckoned with in the Republican Party, pushing his influence in primaries across the country, where his MAGA supporters can make or break a candidate.
Trump's record in those races is mixed - he took down his top target, Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney in her August primary, but other Republicans who voted for his impeachment have gone on to primary victories.
And now there are rumblings of worry from some in GOP leadership, who fear the federal investigation into whether Trump took classified documents from the White House will affect them at the ballot box in November.
But Trump still has his defenders. The former president will be in Pennsylvania on Saturday, when he holds a campaign rally for the state's Senate and gubernatorial candidates in Wilkes-Barre.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy issued a stark warning to voters ahead of Biden's remarks, issuing his words of warning from Biden's hometown of Scranton. 'Winter is coming,' were McCarthy's omnious words.
'Families are barely able to make ends meet,' he said. 'Electricity and energy costs – they are consuming household budgets. Citizens are forced to make agonizing choices every single day just to pay the bills.'
'You know more than 20 million American households – that's about one in every six families – have fallen behind on the utility bills,' McCarthy added.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivered a prebuttal to Joe Biden's address to the nation on Thursday – visiting the president's hometown of Scranton to do so
Biden has said he was compelled to run for president after the Unite the Right rally at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017 that led to a clash between far-right marchers and counter-protesters
President Joe Biden has decried the January 6th insurrection on the Capitol, where Trump supporters tried to stop the certification of the 2020 election; on the first anniversary of the riot, Biden said the country is in a battle for its soul
President Biden spoke outside of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, the site where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and adopted by America's founding fathers
Joe Biden, with Jill Biden, kicked off his 2020 presidential campaign at a May 2019 rally in Philadelphia
Voters have listed the high price of food and gas as one of their top concerns. Inflation, which hit record highs earlier this year, has started to drop off.
Gas prices also have declined in recent weeks - fueling Democratic hopes that voters won't take out their anger and frustration on them at the ballot box. Democratic hopes for the midterms are rising.
A new Wall Street Journal poll on Thursday showed the party has made gains among independent voters and Americans have an improved view of President Biden, who has seen his approval rating notch upwards in the last few weeks. Biden has been targeting Trump supporters as he campaigns for Democrats.
The president, in August, accused Trump and 'extreme' Republicans of 'semi-fascism' at a fundraiser for Democrats.
'What we're seeing now, is either the beginning or the death knell of an extreme MAGA philosophy,' Biden told about 100 wealthy donors.
'It's not just Trump, it's the entire philosophy that underpins the - I'm going to say something - it's like semi-fascism.' Biden said Trump and MAGA Republicans were 'destroying America.'
Biden began his 2020 presidential campaign in Philadelphia in a May 2019 speech.
And he has said he was compelled to run for president after the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., where a clash between white supremacists and counter-protesters left three dead and dozens injured.
He's kept up his 'soul of democracy' argument throughout the last campaign and into his first years in the presidency.
On the first anniversary of the January 6th insurrection on the Capitol, Biden said the country is in a battle for its soul.
'I said it many times and it's no more true or real than when we think about the events of January 6th: We are in a battle for the soul of America.
'A battle that, by the grace of God and the goodness and gracious — and greatness of this nation, we will win,' Biden said in remarks in the Capitol building.
Thursday night's speech in Philadelphia marked Biden's third stop in the battleground state of Pennsylvania in the span of one week.
Biden was in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., on Tuesday to talk about supporting law enforcement. And, on Monday, the president will campaign with Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman at the Pittsburgh Labor Day parade.
Tucker Carlson slams Biden's 'obvious dictatorial ambitions' and claims the president was calling for a 'one-party state' during Pennsylvania speech that was 'turning point in American history'
Tucker Carlson has described President Biden's Pennsylvania speech as a 'turning point in American history' while expressing surprise that the commander-in-chief had essentially branded loyal Trump supporters as 'extremists'.
Although Biden had not even begun his speech when Carlson's show went on air at 8pm EDT, Carlson was privy to the remarks Biden was about to make which he described as an example of 'America [being] under attack.'
Carlson expressed surprise that Biden was essentially using what would normally be considered a campaign visit to make an official White House endorsed speech devoted to criticizing his political opponents.
'The threat is not coming from barefoot religious extremists in caves. It's not the Chinese government. It's not Vladimir Putin himself. The most evil man in history. No, this threat is worse and home grown. The single gravest threat to America today is Republican voters. All 75 million of them.
'They are Nazis and destroyers of democracy. That's the message of Joe Biden's speech,' Carlson stated, as he paraphrased Biden's prepared remarks.
Tucker Carlson has described President Biden's Pennsylvania speech as a 'turning point in American history
Biden's speech hadn't got underway at the start of Carlson's broadcast but the speech had been shared with the media beforehand giving him ample fodder
'What Joe Biden is saying right now is the official position of the entire executive branch of the U.S. Government. That include the justice department and Intel agencies and the world's most powerful standing military.
'Think about that. Does it make you nervous?', Carlson asked his loyal Republican viewers.
Carlson suggested that Biden's remarks meant the current occupant of the White House would in fact prefer to see a one-party system which would in effect give him the trappings of a dictator.
'You don't have to be a trump voter to see a speech like this as a turning point in American history. For hundreds of years the U.S. has had a political system comprised of two competing parties.
'If you declare one party criminal, what would you be left with? You would be left with a one party state. That's what Joe Biden is calling for tonight. A one party state. It's shocking,' Carlson suggested.
He then turned his attention to White House press secretary Karine-Jean Pierre who on Thursday argued that Americans who support Trump's 'MAGA agenda' are 'extreme' and 'attacking our democracy.'
'You know, when you ask me about the MAGA agenda, especially as it relates to Congress, relates to elected officials, it is one of the most extreme agendas that we have seen… it is the extreme part of the Republican Party,' Jean-Pierre said.
She then went onto to claim how they 'are threatening political violence and they are attacking our democracy.'
Carlson said that Biden was attempted to make the U.S. a 'one-party state'
Carlson turned his attention to White House press secretary Karine-Jean Pierre who on Thursday argued that Americans who support Trump's 'MAGA agenda' were 'extreme' and 'attacking our democracy.'
Carlson blasted her in his opening monologue: 'Anyone whose views differ from the majority of Americans. If your views are different from the majority, you are an extremist.
'Here's the best part: Karine-jean Pierre works for a guy who has a 38 percent approval rating. Math is not Karine-Jean Pierre's strong suit. It's not her boss's strong suit either. Cognition is not his strong suit.'
Meanwhile, on the left side of the screen, Biden had begun his speech in Philadelphia declaring Donald Trump to a 'threat to the country' in a speech that contained his harshest rhetoric to date about his predecessor in the Oval Office and the MAGA movement.
'Equality and democracy are under assault. We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise,' Biden declared at the start of his remarks outside Philadelphia's Independence Hall.
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was appalled by Biden's remarks
South Carolina Rep. Lindsay Graham took a more measured tone as he responded to Biden's remarks
Political strategist Ronna McDaniel, Chair of the Republican National Committee summed the speech up in five words: 'Angry. Divisive. Political. Stubborn. Failure.'
He called out Trump by name, slamming the former president for his false claim the 2020 election was stolen and berating those who support Trump.
'Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represented extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic,' Biden said to great applause from his supporters.
He made it clear he doesn't think every Republican is 'extreme' or a threat but said 'there's no question that the Republican party today is dominated, driven and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans.'
'And that is a threat to this country,' he said. 'Too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal.'
Biden accused Trump and his supporters of trying to thwart free elections, disrespecting the constitution and taking the country backwards in terms of personal rights.
'MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They did not believe in the rule of law. They did not recognize the will of the people,' he said. 'They refused to accept the results of a free election.'
'You can't love your country only when you win,' Biden said.
The remarks didn't go down well with hardline Republicans.
'Joe Biden is Hitler. NaziJoe has to go,' declared Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
'Joe Biden just declared all of us enemies of the state. Biden is a danger to us all. Joe Biden MUST BE IMPEACHED!!' she went on.
Texas Congressman Pat Fallon believed the speech to be a colossal misstep on behalf of the current administration
'Joe Biden is Hitler. NaziJoe has to go,' declared Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. 'Joe Biden just declared all of us enemies of the state. Biden is a danger to us all. Joe Biden MUST BE IMPEACHED!!' she went on
Republicans had plenty to say about Biden's speech on Thursday night
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy demanded the president apologize for his remarks.
'Instead of trying to bring our country together to solve the MANY problems he has created, President Biden has chosen to divide, demean, and disparage his fellow Americans—simply because they disagree with his policies.
'Mr. President: you owe millions of Americans an apology,' he tweeted before making a statement in front of the camera.
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was equally appalled by Biden's remarks
'It's ironic that Biden calls MAGA the fascists. History teaches us it's the failing dictators in demise who raid the homes of their political opponents and explicitly divide the citizenry based on race,' he tweeted, with a thinly veiled reference to the recent raid by on Trump's Mar-a-Lago.
South Carolina Rep. Lindsay Graham took a more measured tone as he responded to Biden's remarks.
'With all due respect Mr. President, there's nothing wrong with America's soul. The American people are hurting because of your policies. Rampant inflation. Out of control crime. Terrorism on the rise. Broken borders. Stop lecturing & change your policies before it's too late,' he urged.
Texas Congressman Pat Fallon believed the speech to be a colossal misstep on behalf of the current administration.
'Joe Biden ran on unity and togetherness. Tonight's divisive and tone deaf speech is a culmination of his team's work and rhetoric. This Administration has villainized any American that does not agree with their radical far-left agenda,' he stated.
Political strategist Ronna McDaniel, Chair of the Republican National Committee summed the speech up in five words: 'Angry. Divisive. Political. Stubborn. Failure.'
Hysterical Biden demonizes millions of Republican voters as 'semi-fascists,' borderline terrorists and a 'threat to democracy' to scare his own voters to the ballot box. So who is the real fascist, asks CHRISTIAN WHITON
Christian Whiton is a former senior advisor in the Trump and George W. Bush administrations.
President Joe Biden thinks millions of Americans are part fascist and borderline terrorists. It would be laughable if it weren't so disturbing.
Having worn out the label of 'racist,' which Biden and his political allies have applied to just about any political opponent, the dotard president has moved on to new baseless and dangerous insults.
Last week, while campaigning amid stunningly negative poll ratings, Biden remarked in Maryland: 'It's not just [Donald] Trump, it's the entire philosophy that underpins the — I'm going to say something — it's like semi-fascism.'
That's quite the rebuke of the tens of millions of Americans who voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020.
To compound matters, in a jaw-dropping White House press briefing on Wednesday, spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre appeared to up the ante as she previewed the president's prime time address Thursday night, during which he hammered these themes home.
'The MAGA Republicans are the most energized part of the Republican Party,' she haltingly read off prepared remarks. 'That is an extreme threat to our democracy, to our freedom, to our rights. . . this is the most active base of the Republican Party.'
President Joe Biden thinks millions of Americans are part fascist and borderline terrorists. To compound matters, spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, in a jaw-dropping White House press briefing on Wednesday, appeared to up the ante
Let's be clear: The White House isn't calling lawmakers fascists and extremists — which is troubling enough — they're talking about American citizens.
This is appalling.
No wonder 43% of US adults believe a civil war is likely within the next 10 years. Our president is essentially telling Americans that their neighbor may be the enemy.
This is clearly intentional. Why?
Well, having campaigned for president in 2020 as a uniter to 'restore the soul of America,' the politically floundering Biden has moved on to Phase Two — campaign for re-election in 2024 as a divider.
Remember when Biden tweeted, 'It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, and listen to each other again. To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy. We are not enemies. We are Americans.'
We can laugh at this now – or cry.
Accusing opponents of fascism is just the latest and kookiest claim progressives have attempted to avoid disaster in congressional elections this November.
Unfortunately for them, voters have an elegant habit of firing whoever is in charge when the economy is bad, and out-of-control inflation tells them all they need to know.
But the sheer recklessness of these remarks can't be understated. If Biden believes nearly half the country is composed of racists and extremists, how on Earth is he going to represent their interests as president?
Hillary Clinton branded Trump's voters 'deplorables,' Biden is saying that they are worse.
What is to be done with all these fascists running amok in America? Throw them into some re-education camps?
Out of curiosity though, what would the modern adaption of fascism, which emerged in Germany, Japan, and Italy in the 1930s, look like in America?
If Biden believes nearly half the country is composed of racists and extremists, how on Earth is he going to represent their interests as president?
Following their predecessors, modern fascists would certainly try to control speech, deeming reasonable topics off limits, and punishing those who don't comply with the loss of livelihood.
Intransigent free spirits might be 'canceled,' if you will.
Fascists feel a need to redefine a nation's history to suit radical political goals. Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini invoked the Roman Empire, even though it was irrelevant to 20th century Italy. Adolf Hitler pretended Germany would have won World War I had it not been stabbed in the back by its own politicians.
To change the country, modern fascists might seek to redefine the founding of America, from one that created the greatest impetus for expanding freedom in human history to a grubby one that was based on propagating slavery.
Modern fascists would take care to control the apparatus of state power, which, after all, has a monopoly on the legitimate use of force.
Certainly, they would want to transform the FBI's Washington field office from an organization that pursues unambiguous spies, terrorists and violent predators into one that runs political errands by persecuting the opposition party.
Contemporary fascists would update their ancestors' corporatism, which became even more pronounced in Germany after the 'Night of Long Knives' eliminated more socialist-leaning elements among the Nazis.
Instead of just having state agencies implement policies, they would have friends in dominant corporations do so.
They might call on companies like Google, Twitter and Facebook to 'moderate' criticism that was unhelpful to the regime and elevate the regime's lies, such as fake claims of collusion between their opponents and foreign powers like Russia.
Of course, all of these fascists or 'semi-fascist' things aren't just theoretical. They've each happened in recent years, directed by the people now accusing others of being fascist.
In so doing, they're exhibiting yet another trait of fascists: accusing the opposition of exactly what you yourself are guilty of doing.
Will it work in scaring voters to support the incumbent team that has run the country into the ground?
In a word: no.
Voters in the midterm elections and the 2024 presidential contest will render a verdict on the reality they see in their lives. And that reality doesn't reflect Biden's cranky smears or fever dreams.
Biden will soon be gone, but the damage he's doing to the fabric of our nation will be long-lasting.
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