Current:Home > MyBiden is trying to sharpen the choice voters face in November as Republicans meet in Milwaukee-InfoLens
Biden is trying to sharpen the choice voters face in November as Republicans meet in Milwaukee
View Date:2024-12-23 16:25:10
LAS VEGAS (AP) — President Joe Biden returns to the campaign trail Tuesday for the first time since the attempted assassination of his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, aiming to sharpen the choice voters will face this November in the wake of the attack.
Biden will speak at the NAACP convention in Las Vegas, aiming to showcase his administration’s support for Black voters who are a tentpole of the Democratic coalition and of his personal political support. He’ll also participate in an interview with BET. And a day later he’ll address UnidosUS, looking to bolster his appeal to Latino voters, another crucial Democratic-leaning bloc.
Biden’s remarks to both groups come as Democrats have been engaged in a weeks-long crisis of confidence over Biden’s candidacy after his devastating debate with Trump last month. The president’s shaky performance inflamed voter concerns about his age, fitness for office and capacity to defeat Trump once again.
Republicans, for their part, are demonstrating that they are more coalesced than ever around Trump as they go through with their national convention in Milwaukee.
Biden has rejected a flurry of calls from within his party to step aside, restating his belief that he is the best-positioned Democrat to beat Trump. He has relied heavily on his support among Black and Latino elected officials, and was set to appear with many of them in Nevada.
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Democracy: American democracy has overcome big stress tests since 2020. More challenges lie ahead in 2024.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
- We want to hear from you: Did the attempted assassination on former president Donald Trump change your perspective on politics in America?
- Read the latest: Follow AP’s live coverage of this year’s election.
Trump has tried to appeal to both Black and Latino voters, hoping to capitalize on Biden’s sagging favorability. While it’s not clear that the loss of enthusiasm for Biden has helped Trump’s approval with those groups, any marginal loss of support for Biden could prove pivotal in a close race.
“While Trump and MAGA Republicans showcase their Project 2025 agenda at the Republican National Convention, the president will be rallying the backbone of the Biden-Harris coalition,” Biden spokesman Kevin Munoz said.
The president and his campaign hit pause on their criticisms of Trump in the immediate aftermath of the shooting Saturday at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania, where the Republican candidate was injured in the ear, a rallygoer was killed and two others seriously injured.
In an Oval Office address on Sunday night, Biden called on Americans to reject political violence and for political leaders to “cool it down.” But he indicated in a Monday interview with NBC News that he was still committed to calling Trump a threat to American democracy.
Biden did allow that he made a “ mistake ” when he told campaign donors that he wanted to put a “bull’s-eye” on Trump, but he argued that the rhetoric from his opponent was more incendiary.
“Look, how do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says?” Biden said. “Do you just not say anything because it may incite somebody?”
NAACP President Derrick Johnson, in an interview with the AP, sidestepped questions about whether Biden should step aside as the Democratic nominee and whether the president, who often credits his place in the Oval Office to Black voters, could still inspire people to turn out for his candidacy.
Johnson instead focused on the need for Black voters to hear “solutions” on issues like inflation, education and attacks on civil rights, which are among the top concerns for Black communities in this election.
“I expect him to share what his policy priorities will be if he is reelected. We want to focus on the policy goals of whoever occupies the White House in the next term,” Johnson said. He added that Black voters would dismiss candidates “concerned with personality and sound bites.”
At an economic summit hosted by Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Steven Horsford, Biden was also set to unveil policy actions to tame rising housing costs, a critical issue in the battleground state.
Biden is to announce a proposal to cap rent increases at 5% for tenants whose landlords own over 50 units. If landlords hiked rents by more than that, they would lose access to tax write-offs tied to the depreciation of their buildings. The Bureau of Land Management is also opening up public comments to sell 20 acres of public land in Clark County, Nevada, for home construction.
But Biden’s proposal would require congressional approval that he’s unlikely to receive with a House Republican majority — a sign that his proposal is more about political messaging at a critical juncture.
Trump has also used Nevada to float new economic policies. He said he would end taxes on the tips received by workers in the service-industry focused state, a concept that has since been endorsed by Nevada’s Democratic senators, Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto.
___
Miller reported from Washington. AP writers Matt Brown and Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.
veryGood! (643)
Related
- Louisiana man kills himself and his 1-year-old daughter after a pursuit
- Crocs unveils boldest shoe design yet in response to fans, just in time for 'Croctober'
- 'Brooklyn Crime Novel' explores relationships among the borough's cultures and races
- Arnold Schwarzenegger has one main guiding principle: 'Be Useful'
- The boy was found in a ditch in Wisconsin in 1959. He was identified 65 years later.
- Fire sweeps through a 6-story residential building in Mumbai, killing 6 and injuring dozens
- Montez Ford: Street Profits want to reassert themselves in WWE, talks Jade Cargill signing
- Stricter state laws are chipping away at sex education in K-12 schools
- Quincy Jones laid to rest at private family funeral in Los Angeles
- Buy now pay later apps will get heavy use this holiday season. Why it's worrisome.
Ranking
- Groups seek a new hearing on a Mississippi mail-in ballot lawsuit
- Goshdarnit, 'The Golden Bachelor' is actually really good
- Dick Butkus wasn't just a Chicago Bears legend. He became a busy actor after football.
- What is Indigenous Peoples Day? A day of celebration, protest and reclaiming history
- College Football Playoff ranking release: Army, Georgia lead winners and losers
- Joey Fatone Shares His Honest Reaction to Justin Timberlake Going Solo Amid Peak *NSYNC Fame
- Chris Hemsworth Shares Lifestyle Changes After Learning of Increased Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Becky G says this 'Esquinas' song makes her 'bawl my eyes out' every time she sings it
Recommendation
-
Noem’s Cabinet appointment will make a plain-spoken rancher South Dakota’s new governor
-
London's White Cube shows 'fresh and new' art at first New York gallery
-
'The Golden Bachelor' recap: Who remains after first-date drama and three eliminations?
-
Health care strike over pay and staff shortages heads into final day with no deal in sight
-
Tech consultant testifies that ‘bad joke’ led to deadly clash with Cash App founder Bob Lee
-
TikToker Alix Earle Shares How She Overcame Eating Disorder Battle
-
73-year-old woman attacked by bear near US-Canada border, officials say; park site closed
-
Milton from 'Love is Blind' says Uche's claims about Lydia 'had no weight on my relationship'