President Joe Biden is set to visit Detroit, Michigan, this Friday, marking the end of a week filled with efforts to regain momentum and shift the spotlight away from Donald Trump.
This comes amidst a surge in demands for Biden to withdraw his reelection bid.
Biden's visit to Detroit follows his participation in the NATO summit in Washington and a press conference on Thursday. During the conference, he reiterated his intention to stay in the race, despite a less than stellar debate performance that sparked doubts about the 81-year-old's suitability for office.
In the wake of the debate, Biden has been tirelessly working to convince lawmakers and donors of his ability to effectively perform his duties. However, a series of interviews, state visits, and a solo press conference have done little to quell calls for his withdrawal.
According to Biden's campaign, the Detroit event will serve as a platform for Biden to highlight the risks associated with Trump's Project 2025 and contrast it with the potential achievements of the first 100 days of a second Biden term. Project 2025 is a blueprint for a potential new Trump administration, crafted by his allies, although Trump himself has attempted to distance himself from it.
The event's guest list, featuring prominent black activists and union leaders, underscores Biden's mission: to demonstrate that he still has grassroots support while the 'elite', as Biden referred to them this week, waver.
Simultaneously, his reelection campaign has indirectly conceded that his route to the White House has become more challenging. It stated that the 'blue wall' of states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, provides the 'clearest pathway' to securing the electoral college.
Thus, Biden finds himself back in Detroit, a city emblematic of the blue-collar, blue wall states. This marks his third visit to the city this year and his fourth to Michigan.
The event will feature speeches from Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer, a pastor, the city's mayor, and the state party chairman. However, some key figures, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, co-chair of Biden's campaign, will be absent.
Biden will also be confronted with the reality of his uphill battle. Rep. Hillary Scholten, facing a tough reelection battle in western Michigan, publicly expressed her concerns on Thursday and urged Biden to step down.
Scholten stated, 'With the challenges facing our country in 2025 and beyond, it is essential that we have the strongest possible candidate leading the top of the ticketnot just to win, but to govern.' She is the first member of Congress from the state to break ranks.
Trump secured Michigan in 2016, but Biden reclaimed it by a three-percentage-point margin. Current state polls suggest a very narrow lead for Trump.
During his press conference, Biden dismissed the polling data as "premature," stating, "The campaign really hasn't even started. I mean, it hasn't started in earnest yet. Most of the time, it doesn't start till after September after Labor Day. So a lot can happen."
Following his weekend at his Delaware beach home, Biden will head to Austin, Texas, on Monday. There, he will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and propose measures to address the role of the Supreme Court. His next stop will be Las Vegas, Nevada, where he will present plans to make housing more affordable, as reported by the Daily Mail.
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