Biden scheduled a speech to address the growing crime throughout the nation’s largest cities, a growing vulnerability for Democrats. It was a moment where the president could have confronted uncomfortable realities on the Left, just like Adams did during his mayoral campaign. He could have challenged his own base to stop stereotyping all police, given the crushingly low morale of police officers, and the resulting wave of resignations and retirements that many urban police forces face. Biden could have taken on New York City’s recently implemented bail reform law, which has allowed violent criminals to roam the streets, committing repeat offenses. He could have challenged the approach of progressive district attorneys, who have declined to prosecute many lower-level crimes amid rising rates of violent crime in their cities. Adams ran on these tough-on-crime messages throughout his campaign, repeating the slogan: “The prerequisite for prosperity is public safety." Instead, Biden gave a disengaged speech focused on the well-worn issue of gun control—one that didn’t match the urgency of the political moment. It was the type of address that could have been given anywhere at any time. After Biden touted an assault weapons ban in his speech, Adams responded that the violent crime in his city was committed with handguns, not assault weapons.