President Joe Biden cast his ballot on Oct. 28 in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, during early voting.
Wearing a dark suit and red tie, the president arrived at the polling station in New Castle at about 11:48 a.m., according to the White House. He was accompanied by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), who is running for Senate.
The president stood at the end of a line of more than 100 voters. While standing in line, he spoke with some voters and took selfies, according to the White House.
Biden waited in line for more than 30 minutes before casting his vote. When asked whether it felt bittersweet, he responded to reporters, “This is just sweet,” after voting.
Biden on July 21 ended his reelection bid via a signed letter posted on social media platform X, stating that it was “in the best interest” of his party and the country.
It was the first time a sitting president had withdrawn from a presidential race since Lyndon B. Johnson did so in 1968.
Just a few weeks after Biden’s withdrawal from the race, Vice President Kamala Harris secured the Democratic nomination in a virtual roll of delegates, which concluded on Aug. 5.
The 81-year-old president had previously said he had no intention of leaving the race and assured the public for weeks that he would remain the Democratic nominee following his June 27 debate with former President Donald Trump. However, he later reversed his position after significant pressure from some donors and elected Democrats who had come to believe that he would not win reelection.
“I have the greatest respect for him. I think he’s one of the great consequential presidents of our country,” Pelosi said.
She also said, however, that some advisers in Biden’s campaign may not have forgiven her for pressuring the president to exit the race.
With almost a week to go before Election Day, the race between Harris and Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, remains deadlocked nationally.
While recent polls suggest a close race, Harris’s upward momentum has largely slowed, with battleground state poll averages trending slightly in favor of Trump.
On Oct. 29, Harris will make her closing argument at the Ellipse in the nation’s capital. The vice president plans to convey a message to Americans about what a Harris presidency would look like compared with Trump’s presidency.
The Harris campaign chose the Ellipse, the park just outside the South Lawn of the White House, as a symbolic location. The venue was the site of a rally where then-President Trump spoke before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach.
Harris held a campaign event with superstar singer Beyoncé on Oct. 25 in Houston, where she delivered remarks focused on abortion access. The event at the Shell Energy Stadium drew an estimated 30,000 people, according to her campaign.
Trump delivered a campaign speech at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, drawing an estimated 25,000 supporters.
Harris told reporters on Oct. 28 that the former president is “fanning the fuel of division in the country.”
After voting, Biden also commented on Trump’s speech at Madison Square Garden.
“It’s embarrassing. Just simply embarrassing. It’s beneath any president,” Biden said, referring to Trump’s remarks about illegal immigrants.
The event made headlines after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who appeared as a guest speaker at the rally, called Puerto Rico an “island of garbage.” Democrats and Florida Republican Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio condemned Hinchcliffe’s comments about Puerto Rico.
“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez told The Epoch Times.
Biden headed back to Washington on Oct. 28 and is set to deliver a speech at a White House reception to honor Diwali, one of the major Hindu festivals.
