As Joe Biden’s popularity continues to sink in the eyes of the American public, the Democrat president is becoming increasingly unpopular with members of his own party.
On Friday, two top Democrats in Pennsylvania, who are both running for high office, revealed they will snub Biden and miss his appearance in Pittsburgh due to “scheduling conflicts.”
John Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, and Josh Shapiro, the attorney general, say they have more pressing matters to attend to over the president’s visit to Mill 19, a research and development center.
Fetterman is running for Senate while Shapiro is running for governor.
“Josh Shapiro is running to be the governor of Pennsylvania and he’s focused on the issues that matter to Pennsylvania families,” Shapiro spokesperson Will Simons said.
“It’s great that President Biden is coming to Pittsburgh to talk about infrastructure,” Fetterman said before adding that he will be in Harrisburg to talk to Democrats about the midterms.
From WTAE:
The White House said Biden will discuss “strengthening the nation’s supply chains, revitalizing American manufacturing, creating good-paying union jobs, and building a better America.”
He’ll be joined by Gov. Tom Wolf in highlighting how the infrastructure law will impact Southwestern Pennsylvania, as well as Democratic United States Sen. Bob Casey.
“It’s a preview of coming attractions. There will be a lot more in terms of dollars coming to southwestern Pennsylvania to help rebuild communities where the roads, or bridges, or broadband high-speed internet, or waterways investments,” Casey said.
A spokesperson for the Republican National Committee shared his hopes for the president’s remarks.
“I hope that we hear conversations about implementation, immediate implementation that goes towards creating jobs that people need, but what we know is that there’s been a lot of delay, and we know that there’s been a lot of talk about things for the future, when people are hurting and suffering right now,” Paris Dennard said.
From The AP:
President Joe Biden will appear in Pittsburgh on Friday as an opening step in a broader campaign to promote the White House’s achievements in key states before the midterm elections.
But two of the three leading Democrats on Pennsylvania’s statewide ballot this spring who were invited to appear with Biden will not attend, their campaigns confirmed on the eve of the president’s visit.
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a leading Senate candidate, and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the likely Democratic nominee in the race for governor, will be absent because of scheduling conflicts, according to their spokespeople.
Another top Senate candidate, Rep. Conor Lamb, a longtime Biden supporter based in Pittsburgh, will attend, his office confirmed. All three had been invited to participate in a photo line with the president.
The public snub comes as Democrats are losing faith in Biden’s ability to do the job effectively and help the party hold onto power.
As the critical midterm elections loom, Democrats are distancing themselves from Biden, and Kamala Harris, who has even lower numbers than the president.
We saw it in Georgia when Biden delivered his hysterical speech about voting.
Stacey Abrams snubbed Biden and “couldn’t make his appearance” because she is in a close race and the party leader is toxic to voters.
