United States President Joe Biden has appeared at a marketing campaign occasion with Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for the primary time since dropping out of the presidential race.
The pair spoke at a rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday to mark the Labor Day vacation. They hope to shore up assist from unions and blue-collar employees.
Pennsylvania is taken into account a key battleground within the November 5 election, through which Harris will face off with former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump. The 81-year-old Biden was the presidential candidate till July when he abruptly dropped out of the race following a debate efficiency that raised issues over his age.
Talking on Monday, Biden promised he would “be on the sidelines” and “do every little thing I can to assist” within the remaining stretch of the race. He condemned Trump as anti-union, saying, “He’d reasonably cross [a picket line] than stroll one.”
“I’ve no drawback strolling the picket line,” stated Biden, who grew to become the primary US president in historical past final yr to be part of placing employees on a picket line. “Neither does Kamala.”
“I do know her. I belief. The primary determination I made as nominee in 2020 was deciding on her as my vp,” he stated. “It was the only finest determination I made as president of the US of America”.
Harris, in the meantime, led a chant of, “Thanks Joe” earlier than pledging to proceed Biden’s legacy as essentially the most “pro-union administration in US historical past”.
Echoing Biden, she additionally stated she would work to maintain the nation’s metal manufacturing beneath US management.
In March, Biden stated industrial big US Metal Corp, which has agreed to a takeover by Japan’s Nippon Metal for $14.9bn, should stay a domestically-owned US agency.
“We are going to proceed to strengthen America’s manufacturing sector,” Harris stated.
“And on that time… US Metal is a historic American firm, and it is important for our nation to keep up sturdy American metal firms. I couldn’t agree extra with President Biden: US Metal ought to stay American-owned and American-operated.”
Harris and Biden appeared collectively on the Democratic Nationwide Conference and at a White Home occasion on Medicare drug value cuts final month. Nonetheless, the occasion in Pittsburgh was their first joint look at a marketing campaign rally since Harris formally grew to become the nominee.
Earlier within the day, the vp held an occasion in Detroit, Michigan – one other key battleground state – the place she once more confronted protesters calling for Washington to instantly shift its materials and political assist for Israel amid its ongoing struggle on Gaza.
‘Thread this very high quality needle’
Reporting from Pittsburgh, Al Jazeera’s Phil Lavelle stated that whereas Harris needed to profit from her affiliation with Biden, she additionally needed folks to know she was completely different from him.
“She has to string this very high quality needle between being seen to be related to Joe Biden, being linked to his perceived achievement… as a result of Joe Biden, bear in mind, was the primary president to stroll a picket line. He’s seen as very pro-union,” he stated.
“On the identical time, she has to carve out her personal path and be seen as a change candidate, which is what she’s attempting to challenge herself as, a candidate for change,” Lavelle stated.
“Now that is one thing that, in fact, the opposite facet is saying shouldn’t be true. They’re saying that she is an element of the present administration. How can she be a modified candidate?”
Jeremy Zogby, an impartial pollster, stated it will likely be notably essential for Harris to attract a distinction on the financial system, which has been central to Republican assaults on the Biden administration.
Zogby added that whereas some polls counsel Harris is main Trump nationally and in key battleground states, a lot might change earlier than election day. Harris and Trump will face off of their first debate on September 10.
“Battleground states are known as battleground states as a result of the needle is all the time shifting,” he informed Al Jazeera.
“Proper now, we’re form of leaving this wave of the Kamala honeymoon, the place there’s been a concentrate on persona.
“I sense that that’s coming to an finish and the problems are going to come back again into the forefront. Between now and election day, you’ll have a whole lot of issues occur.”