Joe Biden brings presidential campaign to Madison

MADISON — As Joe Biden ponders his political future, facing calls from within his own party to abandon a reelection bid, the 81-year-old Democratic president made a critical stop in this key swing state Friday, showing his commitment to running his campaign successfully.

Biden traveled to Madison, Wisconsin’s electoral capital, where he planned a rally at a local college and the taping of a prime-time interview with ABC designed to help reverse public fears about declining mental acuity. (The rally and ABC interview were conducted after newspaper deadlines.)

The stoppage, perhaps Biden’s most significant this campaign cycle, came as the president continued to deflect concerns among Democratic donors and fellow politicians about the president’s ability to defeat Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and serve the next four years after a stunning debate performance in which Biden lost his train of thought and at times made absurd statements.

Democratic governors who met with Biden on Wednesday to assess the president said they would support him, including Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who was the only governor not to attend the meeting. But on Thursday, the New York Times reported that major Democratic donors were launching a pressure campaign for Biden to step down.

Live Updates: Follow our coverage of the President’s visit to Madison, Wisconsin

Biden’s campaign, however, is presenting a united team that is ignoring efforts to replace the candidate. In a memo from Wisconsin campaign officials released to reporters, it was revealed that key representatives from the state would be in attendance.

“President Biden is traveling to Madison for his fifth trip to Wisconsin this year, where he will highlight the stakes of this election as Donald Trump becomes increasingly extreme and deranged,” the memo said.

“Over the past few weeks, Wisconsin leaders have continued to show strong support for President Biden, and several will join him in Madison, including Governor Tony Evers, Congressman Mark Pocan, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler.”

Evers is particularly a key Biden ally, having recently earned a 51% approval rating among Wisconsin voters in a Marquette University Law School poll — unheard of in a state that is also politically divided.

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, the state’s Democratic leader, was absent, however. She has avoided appearing alongside Biden during the president’s recent visits and had already planned a campaign stop in northern Wisconsin on Friday.

The last time Baldwin appeared with Biden was during the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., in March, when she was part of a group of lawmakers who accompanied the president into the House chamber.

Biden faced protests by about 75 pro-Palestinians on Sherman Avenue who shouted their displeasure over Biden’s handling of the Gaza war through loudspeakers, chanting “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide, we accuse you of genocide” and “Free, free Palestine.” Voters held signs that read “President Biden, serve your country, not your ego. Get out now” and “Pass the torch.” The groups included the Madison chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine and Listen to Wisconsin, according to an earlier Instagram post. Biden’s handling of Middle East policy has been a controversial part of his campaign, particularly among younger voters. About 48,000 Wisconsinites voted “uneducated” in the April presidential primary.

But supporters invited to the Madison event had no doubt that Biden remained their party’s presidential nominee.

“I don’t even understand why this is a topic of discussion,” Nancy Locante of Kenosha told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We’re all behind Joe.” Lynn Dahl, 66, attributed Biden’s struggles in the debate to former President Donald Trump’s long list of false statements. “When he was confronted with lies, I think that’s what triggered him,” Dahl said. “It would upset me if someone came at me with that volume of lies, too.” Amber Cohen, 41, of Madison, said she would vote for the Democratic nominee no matter what, but said putting someone else on the ticket is “a terrible idea at this point in the race.” “I’ve been a Democrat since I understood what a Democrat was, and I feel like it’s really important,” Cohen said. “I’m pretty tired of people constantly questioning Biden’s age as if that’s the problem and not focusing on the barrage of lies he’s been exposed to.”

Ahead of the Madison visit, Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming said Biden’s campaign had gone from “confidence to calamity to crisis” in the past 10 days, citing Biden’s debate performance and Democrats’ rush since then to shore up support for the president.

“The Democratic Party, nationally and in Wisconsin, is in disarray right now.”

According to Schimming, Biden’s visit to one of the state’s biggest Democratic strongholds is not an effort to boost his support, but rather an effort to “save his campaign.” He alluded to calls from Democrats to replace Biden at the top of the ticket.

“As this is going, this may be Joe Biden’s last appearance in Madison and even Wisconsin as a candidate, given the chaos that is currently in the campaign and within the Democratic Party.”

In an interview with the Journal Sentinel before the event, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler predicted that Biden would “hit the fan” with his speech. “My message to voters who are trying to figure out the path forward is to pay attention to the president’s speech here in Madison today. Watch him on the campaign trail. See the fire and energy that voters saw in North Carolina last week,” Wikler said.

Lawrence Andrea of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

You can contact Molly Beck at [email protected].