As President Biden heads into the final 135 days of his term, he is making increasing public appearances to solidify his record and support Vice President Harris's presidential bid.
Biden returned to Washington after a long summer vacation on the opposite coast and made three separate visits, all to key battleground states. He appeared in Pennsylvania with Harris on Labor Day Monday and closed out the week with visits to Wisconsin and Michigan, touting his administration's investments in rural areas.
A senior White House official said Biden will travel abroad regularly in the coming months to take further steps on some of his domestic priorities, including student loan forgiveness, lowering housing costs and eliminating junk fees.
But perhaps most important to his legacy will be ensuring Harris beats former President Trump in November.
“President Biden has dedicated his political career to defeating Trump in November, and he will never want to let that sacrifice go to waste,” said former Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pennsylvania), a Biden ally.
The president's approval ratings have risen since he announced on July 21 that he would not seek a second term. A USA Today/Suffolk University poll released Tuesday showed Biden's approval rating rising to 48% from 41% in late June. A Quinnipiac University poll released in late August put Biden's approval rating at 45%, his highest since mid-2021.
He has also been showered with chants of “Thanks, Joe” while campaigning with Harris, including during his speech at the Democratic National Convention — a stark contrast to the much quieter crowds he saw during his reelection campaign.
White House aides are hoping to use this newfound energy to remind voters of Harris' accomplishments while also making the case that there is still much work to be done and that Harris is the person to get it done.
A White House official said Biden will travel around the country “to talk about all the progress we've made and what we need to do next.”
Biden will be in Pennsylvania on Monday to speak to unions, which could help the vice president with certain demographics. Harris' popularity in Pennsylvania, which, along with Delaware, is considered Biden's home state and a key state for Harris to win in November, could help her. Biden won Pennsylvania in 2020 because Trump won it in 2016.
“He wants to talk about the accomplishments of his administration and it's beneficial for him to come in from time to time because it gives him the opportunity to stand next to him as a loyal partner and promote things like prescription drugs and infrastructure,” one Harris supporter said.
The ally added that while Harris is still planning how to run her own campaign, the rhythm of appearing in public together every few weeks is a good strategy, especially since Harris' chances of becoming president don't seem likely for another four years of the Biden administration.
“I don't think it makes sense for him to do that all the time because she needs to show that it's not just a continuation,” the ally said.
The president also has goals he wants to achieve before he leaves office, especially on important issues that will benefit his political standing.
“The president would likely campaign with VP Harris if he deems it beneficial and if Biden has the capacity to do so. Harris must walk a delicate balance between being a sitting vice president, acknowledging and crediting Joe Biden for the political sacrifices he has made, and being a presidential candidate in her own right,” said Carney, senior policy counsel at Nossaman law firm.
“Juggling public service and political work is a delicate balance, but if done well, it could increase Harris' chances of victory and solidify Biden's legacy,” he said.
Beyond campaigning, Biden has a long list of things to do before January.
First, he has made a ceasefire agreement in the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza a top priority, a deal that would mark his legacy after facing criticism, anger and division within the Democratic Party over how to treat Israel during the war.
Biden has said since February that he expects a ceasefire agreement and has said for weeks that he thinks he is close to a hostage agreement, but the obstacles are piling up. Biden said Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not done enough to secure a hostage agreement, ratcheting up pressure on the Israeli leader after six hostages were found dead just before they were rescued.
Elsewhere on the international scene, President Biden will be convening the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month, where he will hold his final bilateral meetings with many of the world leaders he has known and worked with for decades.
Last month, Biden was able to achieve one legacy goal: the release of Wall Street Journal reporters Evan Gershkovich and Marine Paul Whalen from a Russian prison.
Domestically, Biden will seek to gain recognition for his accomplishments, highlighted through the “Invest in America” tour his administration kicked off this week. On Tuesday, Biden spoke to people affected by investments in infrastructure, competitiveness and more, a series of engagements expected to continue over the coming weeks.
But some of his domestic priorities, such as banning assault weapons and passing widespread student loan forgiveness, have yet to be accomplished.
Asked Wednesday whether he would do more to curb gun violence in his final months as president in the wake of the deadly shooting at a Georgia high school, Jean-Pierre again called on Republicans to work together bipartisanally on legislation and “find ways to protect our kids and protect our communities.”
Biden's supporters argue he has many challenges ahead of him in the final months of his presidency, all aimed at ultimately helping Harris win in November.
“With five months of no campaigning underway, the president and his team can build on wins, build on their record and secure victory in the vice presidential election in November,” said Scott Mulhauser, a former senior aide to then-Vice President Joe Biden.
He added, “Harris will tout all of the great work she's done to drive change for the better, from infrastructure to jobs to semiconductors to climate, and make the case that she can further those accomplishments if she is president.”
