President Biden is back in Michigan and wants to give new momentum to his campaign
Detroit – President Joe Biden landed in Michigan Friday afternoon, ahead of a rally where he will try to build momentum for his re-election campaign as some in his own party say he should step down as the Democratic nominee.
Biden is expected to speak later Friday at Renaissance High School in Detroit, the same venue where he campaigned ahead of the 2020 presidential primaries, a contest that paved his way to the White House.
Friday’s event, which marks his fourth visit to Michigan this year, comes 116 days before the Nov. 5 general election and 15 days after a difficult debate between Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump that sparked bipartisan criticism of the Democratic incumbent.
Biden, 81, gave a handful of rambling and confusing answers at the debate. On Thursday, Democratic U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten of Grand Rapids joined a group of Democratic lawmakers calling on Biden to withdraw his candidacy for another term.
But Biden and his supporters persisted and tried to convince voters that he was the right choice to take on Trump.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will be among the Democratic officials appearing with Biden in Detroit on Friday.
In an interview, Benson, the state’s top election official, said she wanted to remind voters of their power.
“Every citizen must understand the impact their vote will have on the future of democracy,” Benson said.
Benson declined to elaborate on her views on Biden, citing her role as Michigan’s chief election official.
More: Key takeaways from Biden’s press conference: Insistence on staying in the race and botched names
Benson, Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) and actress Octavia Spencer were among the group that greeted Biden at Detroit Metro Airport. Tate and 13 fellow Democrats in the Michigan Legislature who represent Detroit signed a letter this week declaring their “unwavering” support for Biden as the party’s standard-bearer.
Democratic U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell of Ann Arbor, Haley Stevens of Birmingham and Shri Thanedar of Detroit traveled with Biden to the airport on Air Force One. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was also present when Biden arrived in Wayne County.
Pete Hoekstra, chairman of the Republican Party of Michigan, sharply criticized Biden’s campaign appearance on Friday.
“His obsession with electric vehicles will surely cripple the community and put Michiganders out of work,” Hoekstra said. “Joe Biden has proven time and time again that he is wrong for Michigan.”
Michigan is one of the swing states that will decide which party wins the presidency in November. In 2020, Biden beat Trump in Michigan by 3 percentage points, 51% to 48%.
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