Biden said “they aren’t our enemies”. In saying so I believe he was doing what is expected of a president, and what is needed at this time of deep divisions, especially after four years of a presidency that sought to build on those divisions and encourage them.

However...

While I don’t think Biden meant to be insensitive to the real injustice that exists in America (and elsewhere), which would indeed worsen under another Republican administration, his words about not being enemies was naive and tone-deaf at best, dangerous and hurtful at worst.

Jesus said to “love your enemies” - advocating not a sentimental feeling about them, but a conscious course of acting towards them with justice and generosity for their well-being, regardless of how we may justly feel towards them.

Love isn’t primarily an emotion but an action

But Jesus never said “they aren’t your enemy “.

Someone trying to deny your equality, right to be heard, right to vote, right to exist - that IS an enemy.

Understanding your enemy, communicating with your enemy, trying to reconcile with your enemy are noble goals....

But none of that happens by pretending we’re all really friends (or family) who just need to agree to get along and sweeping the deep divisions and hurts under the carpet, which Biden’s badly worded statement suggests.

Christianity in particular is guilty of promoting this kind of false peace, so speaking as a Christian, while I don’t think Biden should be pilloried over it, I do think people are right to be upset by it.

We can only begin to rebuild once we’re clear on how bad the damage is

I believe Biden is someone willing to admit to his errors and learn from them. After the last four years, I have no such hope for Trump.

I’d rather remind Biden why people voting against my humanity are enemies, than continuing to watch Trump put his enemy’s children in cages.