Joe Biden stepped back into the spotlight with a warning and a plea. The tone was dark, the message urgent, and the audience in Boston heard every word.

AP reported that the 82-year-old spoke publicly for the first time since completing a round of radiation therapy for an aggressive form of prostate cancer. He addressed an audience after receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, turning what could have been a quiet tribute into a highly political speech.

“Since its founding, America served as a beacon for the most powerful idea ever in government in the history of the world,” Biden said. “The idea is stronger than any army. We’re more powerful than any dictator.”

He warned that the country depends on a presidency with limited power, a functioning Congress, and an independent judiciary. With the government shutdown now one of the longest on record, Biden accused President Trump of using the funding impasse to expand his control over Washington.

“Friends, I can’t sugar coat any of this. These are dark days,” Biden said.

He tried to strike a hopeful tone, telling the audience that America would eventually recover and regain its footing.

“We’ll find our true compass again and emerge as we always have — stronger, wiser, and more resilient, more just, so long as we keep the faith.”

Then came the part that drew the most attention. Biden called on Americans to rally behind late-night comedians and TV hosts, describing them as modern defenders of free speech who deserve support even as they struggle to stay relevant.

“The late night hosts continue to shine a light on free speech knowing their careers are on the line,” he said.

The message was clear: Biden sees entertainers as cultural warriors pushing back against Trump’s America. He urged people to “get back up” and stand with them, presenting comedians as symbols of courage and truth-telling in what he described as an era of fear.

The moment capped a rare public appearance for the former president, who has kept a low profile during his cancer treatment. But the themes were familiar — warnings about “dark days,” an appeal to restore faith in America’s institutions, and a push to resist the current administration.

Supporters saw it as an emotional call for unity. Critics saw it as another attempt to politicize culture and elevate Hollywood as the moral compass of the nation.

The speech, delivered in a city known for its liberal roots, tied Biden’s personal recovery to what he sees as the nation’s need for renewal. His emphasis on entertainers as defenders of democracy stood out as one of the most unusual parts of the night.

For Biden, it was a chance to reassert his presence in the national conversation — to remind supporters that, even in retirement and after illness, he still has a platform and a message. But it also showed that his version of leadership still leans heavily on the same voices that many Americans have long stopped listening to.