Vice President Harris appeals to Asian voters in Philadelphia as Biden faces pressure to withdraw

Vice President Kamala Harris passionately defended President Joe Biden, casting the 2024 election as the “last line of defense” against extremism during her first visit to Pennsylvania since some Democratic lawmakers began calling for Biden to step down in favor of Harris.

Speaking at the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Voters Conference in Philadelphia, Harris — who made history as the first Asian American, woman and Black person to serve as vice president — highlighted the administration’s accomplishments in its first term while acknowledging that the past few days have shown how challenging it is to run for president.

“One thing we know about our president, Joe Biden, is that he is a fighter, and he is the first to say, ‘When you get knocked down, you get back up,’” Harris said. “So we will keep fighting. We will keep organizing. And in November, we will win.”

Speakers at Saturday’s event organized by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, a civic engagement group, repeatedly spoke about the power AAPI Americans have in key swing states like Pennsylvania. Before Harris spoke, a video was played highlighting efforts in Philadelphia’s Chinatown to oppose the 76ers’ novel arena in the area.

Harris later referenced the same district and the Biden administration’s efforts to fund a $160 million project to build parks and bike lanes over the Vine Street Expressway that divided the community in 1959, as part of broader infrastructure spending.

“This has led to the displacement of families and the destruction of neighborhoods, and Chinatown residents continue to be cut off from jobs and opportunities in other communities,” Harris said.

Harris has been crisscrossing the country in recent days to campaign for Biden as the Democratic field tries to recover from last month’s disastrous debate. While she is campaigning for Biden, the events also underscore her skills as a potential replacement candidate, as a growing chorus of Democrats calls for Biden to drop out in favor of Harris or another candidate.

Even as he insists he intends to stay in the race, Biden assured reporters at a news conference Thursday that Harris is capable of becoming president if she has to. Harris has remained faithful to Biden.

Harris’ visit to Philadelphia comes amid a flurry of activity in the commonwealth. First lady Jill Biden was set to appeal to Italian American voters in Pittsburgh and former President Donald Trump was set to campaign in Butler County as his final campaign stop before next week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Biden had no public events scheduled for the weekend because his wife and the vice president’s running mate were on the campaign trail.

“Pay attention to who shows up”

Some attendees at Harris’ speech in Philadelphia remained supportive of keeping Biden in the race and were enthusiastic about the president’s accomplishments, although they spoke highly of Harris.

Minh Nguyen, who lives in Penrose in Southwest Philadelphia and is a member of the Asian Real Estate Association of America, beamed about his love for Harris. But he said he didn’t know if she could beat Trump because of racism and sexism.

“Technically, Biden is the one deciding whether he wants to step down or not, and I think that’s a decision he has to make, him and God, so I support the president’s decision and I wish everyone the best of luck in their deliberations,” he said.

Other participants expressed frustration with Biden’s age and his support for Israel during the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Max Jin, who will soon turn 16 and is from Doylestown in Bucks County, said calls for Biden, 81, to step down are “legitimate” given his age, debate performance and recent public mishaps. He said he is somewhat concerned about Biden’s ability to last another four years in office, but believes a Trump presidency would be a greater threat to the country.

“While I am concerned about Biden’s age, I would still support his re-election,” said Jin, who will not be able to vote for another two years.

Harris led the Biden campaign in its efforts to win over Black and Asian voters ahead of the November election. Her work will be especially crucial after APIAVote released a poll earlier this week showing the president’s support among Asian American voters has fallen by 8 percentage points over the past four years — though he still outperforms Trump by double digits in the poll among that demographic.

Andrew Peng, a Biden campaign spokesman for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, said Harris’ presence at the event is proof the campaign will not disregard any voice.

Philadelphia City Council Member Nina Ahmad, the first woman of South Asian descent to serve on the council, praised the number of Asian Americans serving in senior roles in the Biden administration.

“What does representation look like? It looks like the first ever Asian American and African American woman as our vice president is Kamala Harris,” she said.

She told attendees to “pay attention to who shows up,” in a thinly veiled reference to the Trump campaign’s absence from the APIAVOTE event despite receiving an invitation.

Harris visits Reading Terminal Market

After her speech, Harris visited the Reading Terminal Market, where hundreds of people gathered, with some running through the market aisles to take photos with the vice president. She stopped to eat at Little Thai Market with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, ordering salmon curry, Thai chicken, masala chicken and yellow chicken.

Susiliawati Tjiputra, who was working in the restaurant’s food line, said Harris greeted the crowd surrounding the food stand.

Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija, the first Asian American to serve on the commission, said Harris, the daughter of a woman who immigrated from India, represents a shared story that many Asian Americans can identify with and that has inspired more community activism.

Ahead of the APIAVOTE event, Makhija said he hoped Harris would stop by before the convention to speak directly to Asian Americans in Philadelphia.

“She understands the issues in the community. She’s been there many times. I just don’t think there’s another national figure who can speak to our communities the way she can,” he said.

While many Democrats have been pushing for Biden to step down and let Harris or another Democrat take on Trump, Makhija noted that Harris has the power to get the word out on the issues most crucial to Democrats.

“Kamala Harris is the most vocal and effective voice on reproductive rights of any national figure right now,” said Makhija, who campaigned on Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign.

Towards the end of her speech, Harris highlighted the issue of reproductive rights, addressing abortion restrictions that have been put in place in 21 states since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade as “Trump’s abortion ban.” She then moved on to another Supreme Court decision expanding the president’s power and warnings about the stakes of the race.

The Supreme Court includes three Trump appointees who had a decisive influence on both rulings.

“Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and the rule of law, or in a country of chaos, fear and hatred?” she asked.

Harris’ speech was interrupted mid-speech by protesters, some chanting “Free Palestine” and being escorted out of the hall. Other attendees tried to drown out the chants with their own chants of “four more years.”

“Of course we’ll have four more years,” Harris said to cheers.

“We certainly respect everyone’s right to express their concerns. But I’m speaking out now,” Harris said, repeating a line she used during a 2020 debate with former Vice President Mike Pence.