President Biden revs up Philly Democrats by slamming Trump as focus turns to voter turnout in the city

PHILADELPHIA — President Joe Biden said former President Donald Trump has “become unhinged” and framed the Republican’s perspective as “old and failed,” a message the president used to rev up a room of Philadelphia Democrats just three weeks before Election Day.

“He’s become unhinged. Look at his rallies,” Biden said of Trump, before invoking a town hall event the Republican nominee held Monday in Montgomery County that went off the rails. “(Trump) stood on the stage for 30 minutes and danced. I’m serious. What’s wrong with this guy?”

But Biden, after repeatedly hitting Trump’s record, ended his 20-minute remarks on a hopeful note, saying turning out voters in the city could make Vice President Kamala Harris his successor — a stark reminder of the pressure on Philadelphia voters as the presidential race could hinge on Pennsylvania and its largest city.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, especially here in Pennsylvania, especially here in Philadelphia,” Biden said. “How you go is going to determine the election.”

The Democratic president was the guest of honor at a fundraiser for the city committee, which took place at the Sheet Metal Workers Banquet Hall on Columbus Boulevard. The event, with tickets starting at $75 for young Democrats and $20,000 for hosts, drew a revved-up crowd of more than 600 people wielding signs reading: “Thank you, Joe.” Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker were among the bevy of elected officials in attendance.

Just before Biden spoke in the city, first lady Jill Biden campaigned in the Philadelphia suburbs, making a stop at a phone banking event in West Chester and Blue Bell to stump for Harris.

The president’s visit, just 21 days before Election Day, underscored how critical Philadelphia and its collar counties could be for Harris. She is expected to win the deep-blue city, where Democrats far outnumber Republicans, and she must run up the score in voter-rich southeastern Pennsylvania in order to prevail in the crucial battleground state.

However, Trump’s campaign thinks he can perform better in the city than Republican nominees have in the past, given frustration with the economy and his working-class appeal. Polls show Trump has made inroads with Black and Latino voters compared to 2020, when he lost Pennsylvania by about 80,000 votes.

And some Democratic city committee members have raised alarm this year about the party’s turnout operation, suggesting longtime party Chair Bob Brady — a former congressman and a close friend to Biden — wasn’t overseeing a cohesive, citywide strategy.

But party leaders projected confidence Tuesday, including Parker, who quipped, “You are Democratic leaders in the largest city in the swingiest state in the nation — no pressure.”

“People are doubting you. They’re thinking we won’t have it. They’re thinking we won’t turn out,” the mayor said. “But I know the commitment to each of you from neighborhoods across the city. You know what we do better than anybody.”

And Kevin Poole, a Democratic committee member from the city’s 59th ward, said Biden’s speech served as a call to action.

“I’m all fired up,” Poole said. “We feel like we’re under assault and under attack by Trump, and (Biden) spelled out the specific issues that are needed to make us win, to make us push harder, to believe in ourselves.”

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