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Biden, Obama and Trump converge on Pennsylvania

Published On: 6. November 2022 1:36

President Joe Biden swept into Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon, reuniting with his former boss Barack Obama at a rally to boost two Democratic candidates in a last-minute push to turn out midterm voters — just as former President Donald Trump made his way across the state to a competing rally for Republicans.

Biden took to a Philadelphia stage with Senate candidate John Fetterman and gubernatorial nominee, Josh Shapiro. They were joined by Obama, who has leaped into the campaign proxy war within the past few weeks.

“This crowd is so loud, I think they can hear us in Latrobe,” Biden told cheering supporters at Temple University in a reference to Trump’s planned speech later Saturday outside Pittsburgh. “They’re going to hear us on Tuesday.”

Trump will be stumping for Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor locked in a tight Senate battle with Fetterman. The former president also will be stumping for Doug Mastriano, the controversial state senator running for governor — but who has trailed far behind Shapiro in public polls amid fundraising struggles and ties to far-right figures.

The intense focus on Pennsylvania comes days before the state could determine which party controls the 50-50 Senate. And the state is set to be a focal point of presidential politics for the next two years, particularly if Biden and Trump face off again.

Fetterman and Obama kicked off the day of campaigning with a rally in Pittsburgh. The lieutenant governor has the best chance of any Democratic Senate candidate of flipping a seat this election, with GOP Sen. Pat Toomey’s retirement spawning a nasty and expensive race to replace him.

Obama, in a blue button-down shirt, spoke after Fetterman, who had taken to the stage in his trademark black hoodie. The former president addressed the crowd on a range of issues from abortion to gun violence and dinged Republican politicians as lacking any plans to address inflation and rising crime.

„Pennsylvania, you’ve got a choice between politicians who seem willing to say anything and do anything to get power, and people who see and care about you and share your values,“ Obama said.

But a once-large Democratic polling lead in the race has narrowed following a barrage of Republican attacks on the issue of crime — and a difficult debate performance by Fetterman, who is recovering from a stroke he suffered this spring.

Speaking in Philadelphia, Biden argued that Fetterman would help the Senate pass a federal ban on assault weapons. He also riled up the crowd by saying that Oz would support a national abortion ban — which he promised to veto if such a bill came to his desk.

Biden’s appearance is notable in part because the Democratic president, whose national approval rating hovers in the low 40s, has largely campaigned in blue states this fall, including Oregon and California, while mostly avoiding the places that he won only narrowly two years ago.

The visit also comes hours before the Philadelphia Phillies are set to play the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the World Series in Houston. First lady Jill Biden attended an earlier game in Philadelphia.

Trump’s visit to Latrobe, roughly an hour east of Pittsburgh, will feature an unusual joint appearance by Oz and Mastriano. The two candidates have seldom appeared together and have taken very different approaches to campaigning in the swing state.

Mastriano has leaned into the party’s base while making few attempts to reach moderate voters. Speaking Saturday afternoon in Latrobe, his call to end vaccine and mask mandates and “graphic porn” in schools was met with cheers.

Oz has looked to appeal to suburban voters, meanwhile. Trump has a lot riding on Republicans’ success in Pennsylvania, particularly after he endorsed Oz in the wide-open GOP primary earlier this year. His super PAC, MAGA Inc., has also spent millions on ads supporting Oz in the past few weeks.

The former president also hinted at an Iowa rally on Thursday night that he could announce a 2024 presidential run in the coming weeks. Pennsylvania is among the states that would hold special significance in a Biden-Trump rematch as it was the state that put the Democratic president over the 270-vote threshold in the Electoral College two years ago.

A third former president also hit the campaign trail Saturday one state over: Bill Clinton joined New York Gov. Kathy Hochul at a rally in Brooklyn, hoping to give a boost to her closer-than-expected race with Rep. Lee Zeldin. They were joined by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. A day earlier, Vice President Kamala Harris also campaigned for Hochul during a visit to New York City.

“Why is this a close race? Because of inflation. When the cost of living goes up, it’s unsettling for people,” Clinton told the crowd.

“But just take a moment and actually think,” he continued. “The Democrats, led by our governor, are actually doing something to lower costs and to improve public safety.”

Meanwhile, Zeldin was upstate on Saturday, with several campaign stops in the Hudson Valley. He is set to hold an evening rally in Chester with former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, the one-time Democratic congresswoman-turned Republican surrogate.

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