Biden’s visit to Philadelphia draws some protesters, but boosts party support

President Joe Biden arrived in Philadelphia on Sunday for a visit following a less-than-inspiring June 27 debate.

Biden’s appearances in Philadelphia and later that day in Harrisburg drew the attention of several protesters, as well as underscoring the apparent support from top Democratic leaders in the commonwealth and showing Biden’s comfort with places of worship.

The visit was one of a series of public appearances scheduled after the debate. Before arriving in Pennsylvania, the president held a rally in Madison, Wisconsin, and was interviewed by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos — his first television interview since the debate.

Here are the key takeaways from Biden’s visit on Sunday.

Friendly protesters

It’s not often that campaign events are met with cordial opposition. At former President Donald Trump’s rally in Philadelphia in June, for example, protesters gathered outside The Liacouras Center had nothing nice to say.

But in this case, a compact group of people stood outside the Mount Airy Church of God in Christ at temperatures up to 95 degreesto tell Biden it is time to drop out of the race. In one instance, Peter Lehu of Mount Airy held a sign that read, “Thank you Joe, but it’s time to go.”

The appreciation and respect for Biden coexists with concerns among many Democrats that Biden’s presence in the race would lead to a second Trump presidency. Most people at church Sunday seemed to support Biden’s continued campaign.

A compact group of protesters join a growing group of democratic officials calling on Biden to withdraw from the race following his debate performance.

Wayne Eastman of Orange, New Jersey, held a 2024-25 calendar that read “Pass the Torch.” He said he was inspired to protest after seeing people in Wisconsin holding similar signs outside Biden’s event.

He added that he does not feel particularly encouraged to vote, but there is some excitement about the names of candidates who would replace Biden if he withdraws from the race.

“Other names I’ve heard like Governor. [Josh] Shapiro, Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom, sign me up,” Eastman said. “This is an all-hands-on-deck situation for the Democratic Party. We’ve got to figure this out.”

Pennsylvania officials remain loyal

Biden’s visit to Pennsylvania was met with apparent support from top state and city leaders, even as Democratic leaders from other states called on him to drop his campaign.

Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman were among the first to greet Biden after he landed in Philadelphia on Sunday. Both senators expressed their support for the president even as their congressional colleagues — even those in Pennsylvania’s Democratic congressional delegation — reveal concerns about Biden’s chances of winning.

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker also joined leaders to greet Biden at the airport. Parker, a strong Biden surrogate, attended his State of the Union address as a guest in March and has accompanied him on other previous outings.

After visiting a church and a campaign office in Manayunk, Biden headed to Harrisburg, where he eventually met with Gov. Josh Shapiro at Denim Coffee. Shapiro made several clear statements of support for the president, though he was among the first to acknowledge that Biden fared poorly in the debate.

Shapiro has emerged as a candidate to succeed Biden in the race for the Democratic nomination if Biden were to drop out of the race, but that is unlikely.

Visible and open support for Biden from prominent Democrats in the state could prove crucial in November, as Pennsylvania remains a key swing state for the president to decide. currently losing to Trump by about 3 percentage points. Biden has made clear that winning the state in 2020 was what sent him to the White House.

The church is a place where you can “feel the love”

Biden has made no secret of the fact that he values ​​his Catholic faith. Even before Sunday’s visit to the West Oak Lane church to “feel the love,” Biden he attended church regularly and has previously spoken or campaigned in other places of worship.

Biden spoke at St. John’s Baptist Church, a predominantly black church in Columbia, South Carolina, in January before the primary. talked about his faith and attended the service with Representative Jim Clyburn (Democrat of South Carolina), whose support was instrumental in securing Biden the nomination in 2020.

March 1, 2020 Biden he spoke at the service at Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama.

That’s why it’s not so shocking that Biden delivered a prepared speech at a podium and received words of encouragement from preachers on Sunday, days after saying that only “the Lord Almighty” could convince him to drop out of the election.

Staff writer Earl Hopkins contributed to this article.