President Biden and first lady Jill Biden are scheduled to visit Pennsylvania on Sunday to kick off a July voter outreach effort amid concerns among Democrats following a poor showing in the presidential debates.
Biden will speak at a church service in Northwest Philadelphia before traveling to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for an event with union members and local Democrats, his campaign said.
Also in attendance will be Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA), Lt. Governor Austin Davis, Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman (D-PA), Mayor Sherrelle Parker (D-PA), and other local leaders.
The visit to Pennsylvania comes on the heels of Biden’s visit to Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday, as part of his campaign focus on battleground states.
The president has faced growing criticism for his performance in the debate, leading to calls for him to step aside and let someone else take on former President Trump.
Biden gave an on-camera interview in Wisconsin on Friday but has yet to galvanize enthusiasm among his supporters, who remain concerned that he may not have what it takes to beat Trump in this fall’s presidential election.
The visits to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were part of Democrats’ “aggressive voter outreach operation in July,” the campaign said.
The Bidens, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Vice President Doug Emhoff, are scheduled to make extensive visits to battleground states this month.
The trip plans were announced after voters questioned whether the 81-year-old president was mentally and physically capable of continuing the campaign trail, let alone serving another four years in office – something Biden has denied in recent interviews about his age.
Plans for the coming weeks also include a $50 million media campaign and plans to canvass 3 million homes.
“While MAGA hatred and extremism will be on full display at the Republican National Convention, the Biden-Harris campaign will be focused on critical outreach to a diverse coalition that will win the election,” the campaign said in an email.
The visit marks Biden’s 10th visit this election cycle to the Keystone State, which he won by fewer than 82,000 votes in 2020.
According to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Trump has a 57 percent chance of winning Pennsylvania.
