President Joe Biden traveled to Pennsylvania on July 7 to attend two campaign events in the battleground state, with a first stop at a prominent church in Philadelphia where he urged supporters to “stick together.”
President Biden received a warm welcome at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ, where many of the mostly black congregants appeared supportive of his reelection bid.
“I, honest to God, have never been more optimistic about America’s future if we stick together,” the president told the nearly 280 people in attendance.
“The world is looking to America not to carry their burden but to lead their hopes,” President Biden said, reading from printed remarks on the lectern. “I think that we just have to work together.”
President Biden’s speech came at a pivotal moment in his presidential campaign after some lawmakers in his party called on him to drop out of the race following his June 27 debate with former President Donald Trump.
During his speech, President Biden joked about his age and touted his accomplishments as president, highlighting the increase in black employment and small-business formation.
“We must unite America again. That’s my goal. That’s what we’re going to do,” the president said before closing his remarks.
After the event in Philadelphia, he traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for another event. The Keystone State is critical for both presidential campaigns.
In an unscripted speech at an outdoor campaign community event in Harrisburg that was attended by hundreds, he referred to himself as the “most pro-union president in American history” and specifically targeted corporations.
“Corporate profits have doubled. Doubled. And we’ve got to do something about it,” he said.
He then introduced Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), saying, “I’ve got a young guy with me.”
Mr. Fetterman, who has been one of the president’s most outspoken supporters, said in a CNN interview on July 5 that “he’s our leader and he’s been a great president.” The remarks were made after President Biden’s interview with ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos, which also aired on July 5.
Mr. Fetterman added that candidate Biden defied expectations by defeating President Trump in 2020, and he’s the only candidate who has done so.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), during an interview, acknowledged the concerns raised about President Biden’s debate performance. But he said he refused to join Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who is reportedly trying to rally a group of senators to encourage the president to withdraw from the race.
“I have not been invited. No, I will not attend,” Mr. Sanders said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on July 7.
“This is not a beauty contest. It’s not a Grammy Award contest. It is a contest of who stands with the vast majority of the people in this country—the elderly, the children, the working class, the poor—and that candidate is obviously Joe Biden,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said the president still has a chance to win the presidential election, but he must first address voter concerns.
“This is going to be a really important and vital week for the country and for the president,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union” on July 7.
President Biden will host world leaders in Washington this week for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, which marks the military alliance’s 75th anniversary. He will hold a news conference on the sidelines of the summit on July 11, the White House said.
President Biden will travel to Michigan, another crucial swing state, for a campaign event on July 12 after the summit.
A White House official said in an email that the president will continue traveling the following week. He will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act in Austin, Texas, on July 15. President Biden will then travel to Las Vegas to deliver remarks at the 115th NAACP National Convention on July 16 and address the UnidosUS Annual Conference on July 17.
