President Joe Biden is set to return to the campaign trail this week, marking a new phase in his political journey as he wraps up his time in the White House and works to support Vice President Kamala Harris’s bid for the presidency.
Biden and Harris will launch the final stretch of the election season together on Labor Day, appealing to working-class voters with an event at a Pittsburgh union hall—a city that has played a pivotal role in Biden’s political career.
Biden’s campaign activities come as he also manages developments in the Middle East, following the recovery of six hostages’ bodies by the Israeli military, including Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Both Biden and Harris spoke with Goldberg-Polin’s parents on Sunday.
Biden reemerges as Harris’s top surrogate
This carefully planned return to the campaign trail signifies Biden’s shift from candidate to top surrogate after stepping back from a second-term run. Fresh off a two-week vacation in California and Delaware, Biden expressed eagerness to hit the trail.
His advisers have been outlining his fall campaign plans as he focuses on solidifying his legacy, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The president is set to embark on a strategic tour through Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan over the next five days, visiting key “blue wall” states where he narrowly defeated former President Donald Trump in 2020. This tour will combine campaign events with official functions to promote popular aspects of his agenda, offering a preview of how he will be utilized in the coming months.
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As Harris reduces her public appearances to prepare for the September 10 presidential debate, Biden is stepping in to campaign on her behalf in crucial battleground states this week.
Biden, who has seen a slight rise in his approval ratings since stepping back from his reelection bid, is expected to focus heavily on Pennsylvania—a state where he was born and which he considers essential for Harris to win. He has even discussed launching a tour in the state with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
Democratic allies believe Biden will continue to appeal to blue-collar and older voters, groups that were vital to his support in 2024, even as he experienced declining support from other key demographics.
Coordination between the West Wing, the vice president’s office, and the campaign is ongoing to determine where Biden can be most effective on the trail. The frequency and locations of his appearances may evolve as the campaign progresses, given Harris’s condensed timeframe to win over voters.
Discussions are also taking place about Biden’s role in fundraising this fall. There is no definitive plan yet on how often Biden and Harris will campaign together, though one ally suggested a potential “divide and conquer” approach as Election Day nears.
Biden has indicated his willingness to do whatever is necessary for the campaign, according to a source familiar with the situation, acknowledging the significant risk he took in stepping aside and the need for it to pay off.
This week, Biden will participate in White House events in rural southwestern Wisconsin, focusing on clean energy job investments and climate change efforts, and in Michigan, where he will highlight local job creation initiatives.
“He’s actually going to participate in the campaign and lay out what the administration has done. That’s one of the key things that needs to be emphasized,” said former Delaware Senator Ted Kaufman, a close friend and longtime adviser of Biden. “It’s all hands on deck.”
Navigating this dynamic could be tricky for Democrats, as Republicans are eager to link Harris to what they see as Biden’s failed policies on issues like immigration and the economy—areas where Trump has polled better throughout the campaign.
While Harris has advocated for a “new way forward,” she hasn’t distanced herself from Biden’s domestic or foreign policy record. Instead, she’s embraced different messaging strategies, focusing on economic issues like affordability, including grocery prices and housing.
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In a recent interview with CNN, Harris defended Biden’s economic track record and dismissed questions about why she hasn’t acted on the new proposals she’s highlighting on the campaign trail during her vice presidency.
“We had to recover as an economy, and we have done that,” Harris said, citing her work with Biden on reducing inflation and lowering prescription drug costs.
“There’s more to do, but that’s good work,” she added.
Harris also praised Biden, telling CNN that he possesses “the intelligence, commitment, judgment, and disposition that the American people rightly deserve in their president.”
President Biden’s Dual Focus: Supporting Harris and Advancing Key Policy Goals
Boosting Harris’ Candidacy
- Strategic Support: President Biden is actively working to strengthen Vice President Kamala Harris’s candidacy as she prepares for the upcoming election.
- Campaign Involvement: Ben LaBolt, White House communications director, stated that Biden will be “leaning in heavily” on the campaign trail to advocate for Harris while continuing to focus on governance.
Focus on Domestic and Foreign Policy Goals
- Robust Schedule: Biden’s schedule will be packed with efforts to secure significant progress on various fronts, from legislative action to the implementation of key policies.
- Implementation of Legislation: The president has directed his team to prioritize the implementation of important legislation, aiming to lower costs for Americans and address crucial legacy issues.
Key Domestic Initiatives
- Cancer Moonshot Initiative: Continued efforts to advance Biden’s longstanding goal of reducing cancer mortality.
- Supporting Veterans: Strengthening support and services for veterans across the nation.
- Combating Gun Violence: Addressing gun violence through policy measures and community initiatives.
- Stewardship of Artificial Intelligence: Ensuring responsible development and use of AI technologies.
Key Foreign Policy Priorities
- Middle East Peace Efforts: Biden remains focused on ending the conflict between Israel and Hamas. He has recently engaged in diplomacy with leaders from Israel, Egypt, and Qatar to broker a ceasefire and a hostage deal.
- Biden’s Stance: “It’s time this war ended,” Biden stated, expressing optimism about reaching an agreement soon.
- War in Ukraine: Maintaining support for Ukraine, Biden recently communicated with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who sent senior officials to Washington to discuss ongoing efforts.
International Engagement and Travel Plans
- Global Diplomacy: With the campaign demands lifted, Biden is expected to embark on international trips, potentially visiting Poland, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, the G20 Summit in Brazil, and Africa. He also plans to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
- Support for Harris: Biden’s international presence could benefit Harris by reinforcing U.S. leadership and renewing key diplomatic relationships, positioning her for success on the global stage.
Ensuring Harris’s Success
- Refreshing Relationships: A former U.S. official noted that Biden is setting Harris up for success by reinvigorating relationships with global leaders, emphasizing that “no one is better at that” than Biden.
Biden’s Role as a Powerful Surrogate
Transition from Principal to Surrogate
With his decision to step aside from the 2024 race, Biden has shifted from being the central figure to a key supporter, a change he acknowledged during his remarks at the Democratic National Convention last month.
“I promise I’ll be the best volunteer the Harris-Walz campaign has ever seen,” Biden said, embracing his new role.
Enduring Popularity and Credibility
Although Biden was forced out of the race due to concerns about his age and campaign stamina, his legacy and service were widely celebrated during the convention. The focus of the event quickly shifted to the future of the Democratic Party, yet Biden remains popular with crucial voter demographics for the upcoming election.
His approval rating has seen a slight increase, currently sitting at 41% according to the CNN Poll of Polls, up from 37% in July. Mitch Landrieu, a co-chair of the Harris campaign and former White House colleague, emphasized Biden’s value as a surrogate, noting that his selfless decision to step down has bolstered his credibility and likability.
Key Demographics Where Biden Can Make an Impact
- Union Workers: AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler described Biden as “the ultimate validator” for Harris among union workers. In key “blue wall” states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, union voters make up a significant portion of the electorate—22% in Pennsylvania alone—and largely favor Harris. Shuler believes Biden’s involvement will be a strong motivator for these voters, adding a valuable asset to the Harris campaign.
- Older Voters: Biden will also play a crucial role in appealing to older voters, a demographic he made significant inroads with during his campaign. This group, which traditionally leans Republican, could be swayed by issues like Medicare’s ability to negotiate prescription drug prices—a focus during Biden and Harris’s first joint event after Biden exited the race.
By stepping into the role of a dedicated and credible surrogate, Biden is expected to play a pivotal role in helping Harris connect with these key voter groups as the election approaches.
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Pennsylvania’s Significance
Biden has consistently emphasized the crucial role Pennsylvania will play in the upcoming November election. In 2020, he flipped the state back to blue, narrowly defeating Trump by less than 2 percentage points.
“We have to win Pennsylvania, my original home state,” Biden stated in a CBS “Sunday Morning” interview last month. “Shapiro and I are planning a campaign tour there. I’ll be campaigning in other states too, and I’ll do whatever Kamala thinks will help most.”
Biden’s success in 2020 was largely due to strong support in the Philadelphia area and his appeal to voters in the western and northeastern regions, including his beloved Scranton.
“Joe Biden proved uniquely capable of winning back the carpenters, teamsters, and laborers who had drifted to Trump in 2016,” noted Conor Lamb, a former Pennsylvania congressman, referring to Biden’s work in these critical areas.
The president and vice president are scheduled to campaign together in Allegheny County, where Biden’s support grew in 2020 compared to Hillary Clinton’s performance in the previous election.
This area has been instrumental in shaping Biden’s political journey. In 2015, he jogged along the Labor Day parade route in downtown Pittsburgh to chants of “Run, Joe, run!” as he considered a late entry into the Democratic primary, ultimately deciding against it due to the grief over his son Beau’s death.
Biden returned to that same parade in 2019 as he contemplated entering the 2020 race. Pittsburgh became a significant backdrop for his presidential bid, where he launched his campaign with a union worker rally in April 2019 and returned on the eve of the election for an outdoor car rally featuring Lady Gaga.
Now, as Biden embarks on a new chapter in his over five-decade-long political career, he returns to Pennsylvania to support his chosen successor, Harris, whom he believes will make “one hell of a president.”
