Filmmaker Michael Moore’s blistering critique of outgoing President Joe Biden paints a dramatic and unflattering picture of a commander-in-chief prioritizing military actions over domestic progress in his final days. In a fiery open letter, Moore accused Biden of “cementing [his] legacy as a war monger” and laid out a list of grievances, calling the president’s recent decisions reckless and destructive.
Moore highlighted a series of recent actions, including the expedited delivery of $6 billion in weapons to Ukraine and the authorization for Ukrainian forces to use long-range ballistic missiles against Russia. Perhaps most controversial in Moore’s letter was his outrage over Biden’s approval of antipersonnel land mines in Russia.
“LAND MINES, Joe? Seriously? THIS is your legacy?” Moore wrote, underscoring the historical irony that the U.S. has spent decades and billions of dollars clearing mines in war-torn regions like Vietnam and Afghanistan.
Moore also criticized Biden’s response to internal dissent. He denounced the White House for lobbying against 19 Democratic senators who sought to block further weapons shipments to Israel, accusing Biden’s administration of labeling them as “Hamas supporters.”
Further, Moore lambasted the administration for vetoing a U.N. resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and refusing to support an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Moore called these decisions part of Biden’s “legacy” of promoting death and destruction.
Moore shifted gears, imploring Biden to leave foreign policy for his successor and concentrate on domestic priorities. Chief among his recommendations was the publication of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Moore called this a “no brainer” and a critical opportunity for Biden to leave a lasting legacy of progress.
However, legal obstacles loom large. The ERA’s ratification deadline expired decades ago, and two U.S. Supreme Court decisions (Dillon v. Gloss and Coleman v. Miller) support Congress’s authority to impose such limits.
While the ERA has been periodically reintroduced in Congress, it has never garnered sufficient support to overcome these procedural barriers. Legal experts agree that Biden likely lacks the authority to unilaterally order its publication.
Moore concluded his letter with a desperate call for Biden to “make some real and powerful change” in his last two months. He urged the president to embrace the ERA and steer away from what he sees as reckless militarism. Yet, the realities of time, law, and political resistance cast significant doubt on Biden’s ability to act on Moore’s demands.
