WALLINGFORD — President Joe Biden returned to Pennsylvania on Friday for his fourth visit this year and first campaign event after Thursday’s State of the Union Address (SOTU).
“Hello Delco!” the president said Friday, using Delaware County’s nickname. “If you’re tired, you probably watched my speech yesterday.”
First lady Jill Biden, who reminded the crowd that she is a “Philadelphia girl,” introduced the president and reiterated the message from the president’s State of the Union address: that restoring former President Donald Trump to power would be detrimental to democracy.
“We can’t wake up the day after the election like we did in 2016, terrified of the future, thinking, oh my God, what just happened?” she said. “What do we do now? No, we have to face this moment as if our rights are under threat, because they are.”
The president underscored the stakes of the upcoming election and largely repeated the message he shared with the nation the night before, setting the stage for a likely rematch with Trump in November.
“I talked in my speech about how far we’ve come since I took office. I talked about how much is at stake, folks, our freedoms are really on the ballot in November,” Biden told a crowd of supporters at Strath Haven Middle School in Delaware County. “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are trying to take away our freedoms, that’s not an exaggeration.”
“Well, guess what,” Biden added. “We won’t let him.”
Biden criticized his predecessor several times during his SOTU speech, but he did not mention Trump by nameOn Friday, he not only mentioned Trump by name but also identified him as the source of many of the country’s problems.
“He came into office determined to overturn Roe v. Wade,” Biden said. “In fact, he’s bragged about it many times, he’s the reason it was overturned.”
Biden said Trump wants to pass a nationwide abortion ban. If he is re-elected and if Democrats win a majority in Congress, Biden said Roe v Wade would “become the law of the land again.”
Biden warns ‘freedom and democracy are at risk’ in scathing State of the Union address
In February Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, a move that could impact in vitro fertilization in the state. Biden cited an Alabama woman who planned to have a child through in vitro treatment who was affected by the decision.
State Rep. Jen O’Mara (D-Delaware), the mother of a child born through in vitro fertilization, spoke to the Capital-Star ahead of Biden’s speech and said she was glad to hear the president make a clear call for the right of American parents to receive in vitro fertilization.
Biden said the issue will come up on the ballot again in November.
“Those who brag about overturning Roe v Wade have no idea of the power of women in America,” Biden said. “They found out when reproductive freedom was on the ballot in 2022 and 2023, and they will find out again in 2024.”
Dr. Chichi Momah, Owner Springfield Pharmacy in Delaware County, introduced the Bidens to the audience, praising the Biden administration for actions to lower drug costs and passing an inflation-reduction bill.
“Over the past few years, I have seen countless patients struggle to pay for basic medications like insulin and vaccines,” Momah said, adding that “we have an ally in President Joe Biden.”
Biden mentioned this in his speech, defending the Affordable Care Act and saying that Republican attempts to repeal the health care law will not happen while he is in office.
Biden painted a positive picture of the current state of the economy, citing low unemployment and rising wages. He said the days of “trickle-down economics” are over, criticized Trump for the tax reform law enacted during his administration and called for higher taxes on the wealthiest individuals and corporations.
State Senator John Kane (D-Delaware), who served as business director for Plumbers Local 690 before winning a seat in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, said Biden understands how essential it is for unions to build America’s middle class.
Kane said it will be simple to convince union members why they should support Biden’s re-election campaign.
“We vote for our friends and we defeat our enemies,” Kane told the Capital-Star. “The other side is our enemy right now. They want to take away everything we’ve worked so hard for in this union.”
Biden also criticized Trump to Schedule Meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, saying the Hungarian leader believes democracy is not working.
Biden said world leaders told him he must defeat Trump because their democracy is also at stake.
Like Biden, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania) is seeking re-election in a race that could decide which party holds the Senate majority next year. Biden Mentions ‘Bobby Casey’ by Name During His SOTU Speech and repeated his message Friday, calling for passage of Pennsylvania’s senior senator’s bill aimed at halting “shrinkflation” by immense corporations.
‘Bobby’ Casey and shrinkflation mentioned during Biden’s State of the Union speech
Casey praised Biden’s State of the Union address in a press release on Thursday, saying “the state of the American economy is strong” and adding that there is still much work to be done.
On Friday afternoon, Casey’s campaign sent an email to its supporters asking for donations, promoting a limited-edition “Bobby Casey” sticker.
After multiple candidates were removed from the ballot after filing petitions to oppose their candidacy, it is likely that Casey will face Republican David McCormick in the November general election. During the campaign, McCormick tried to portray Casey as Biden’s “automatic rubber stamp.”
Before the Bidens took the stage at their high school, they stopped by the home of a family friend named Jack Bunnies in nearby Rose Valley. Cunicelli and his brother David own the 320 Market Cafe, and the president met with them and their families briefly.
All of Biden’s visits to Pennsylvania in 2024 have been to the eastern part of the state, indicating that his campaign is focused on attracting as many voters from the Philadelphia region as possible.
O’Mara She is the chairwoman of the Southeast delegation of House Democrats, the largest group in the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus. She said it’s no coincidence that Biden has made multiple appearances in the region so far in 2024.
“Delco is meeting expectations, as is southeastern Pennsylvania,” O’Mara told the Capital-Star.
Biden swept Philadelphia and its counties in 2020, winning all but one by double digits. Bucks Countywhere Biden defeated Trump by 4 points.
“We’ll make up the difference in voter turnout if we can get Democrats, Independents and those Haley voters who want to support Biden are here,” O’Mara said. “And that’s the job the campaign has to do now.”
Trump also visited Pennsylvania this year, delivering his inaugural address there. in the National Rifle Association forum in Harrisburg and the presentation of a fresh line of shoes in Sneaker Con in Philadelphia.
Questionnaire shows Biden and Trump are equal in Pennsylvania.
This Cook Political Report rates Pennsylvania as one of six states in the presidential election toss-up category. The Keystone State is the one with the most electoral votes up for grabs.
