Biden suggests Americans aren't proud of their country at fundraiser while Hurricane Ian pummels Florida

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FOX Weather's Bryan Norcross gives latest update on Tropical Storm Ian

FOX Weather's Bryan Norcross gives latest update on Tropical Storm Ian

President Biden suggested that Americans aren't proud of their country during a divisive speech at a political fundraiser for Democrats in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening, while Hurricane Ian pummeled Florida with strong winds and a massive storm surge.

The speech occurred at a private residence in Washington at a reception put on by the Democratic Governors Association that was attended by Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J.; Gov. John Carney, D-Del.; and the city's Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had faced questions from reporters earlier in the day about Biden's attendance at the fundraiser, questioning whether he would cancel his planned appearance and instead focus his attention towards the hurricane challenges facing Florida. 

Jean-Pierre responded that the team didn't have "any changes in his schedule."

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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks with reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

After spending the opening portion of the speech thanking first responders and others for their efforts in assisting those affected by the hurricane, Biden turned political, blasting Republicans as the "MAGA crowd," including tying them to fascism, and portrayed Americans being proud of the U.S. as a distant hope.

"We're really at an inflection point here," the president told the crowd of attendees in a tent outside the home, speaking about the upcoming midterm elections before going on to claim democracy was "at stake" and that the election was about democracy vs. autocracy.

He stressed the need for Democrats to retain control of Congress, something unlikely to happen in the House of Representatives, according to Fox News' Power Rankings, and dove into the issues of abortion, marriage equality, voting rights, social security, Medicare and his desire to ban "assault weapons."

Turning to the GOP, Biden quipped, "This is not your father's Republican Party," continuing his previous criticism of "MAGA Republicans" becoming more prominent than establishment Republicans.

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Wind gusts blow across Sarasota Bay as Hurricane Ian churns to the south in Sarasota, Florida, on Wednesday. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

He argued the Republican Party was tearing down the country rather than building it up, and added that there was "a tinge of fascism to what they're doing" when it came to those he said weren't accepting the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Biden later claimed some Republican members of Congress wanted to vote with him on certain issues, but that they were scared of being booted out of office. "Not a courageous position," he said.

Biden suggested many Americans are uninspired, and don't believe that the U.S. can accomplish great things anymore. "Think about the average person turning on the television every morning," he said. "And what do they see? What do they see out there that really uplifts them, where they go, ‘God, I feel good about being American. I feel really proud’?" 

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The president added that if he could "wave a magic wand and cure cancer," it would bring Americans together again and make them proud to be Americans.

Fox News' Erin McEwan contributed to this report.