WASHINGTON − Fresh off a high-stakes press conference the previous night, President Joe Biden took his damaged campaign to Michigan Friday, trying to shift attention from the battle within his own party over his nomination to the agenda of his opponent, former President Donald Trump.
A defiant, forceful and energetic Biden spoke before a lively group of supporters, who greeted him with chants of “Don’t you quit,” at a campaign rally inside a packed gymnasium at Renaissance High School in Detroit.
More:Biden, Democrats take aim at Project 2025, the sweeping, 900-page conservative plan
Like he has for two weeks now, Biden reaffirmed he’s not dropping out of the 2024 race despite the number of congressional Democrats calling for him to withdraw growing to two dozen Friday.
“Folks, you’ve probably noticed, there’s a lot of speculation lately: What’s Joe Biden gonna do? Is he gonna stay in the race? Is he gonna drop out?” said Biden, who seemed visibly lifted by his supporters. “Here’s my answer: I am running and we’re gonna win! I’m not going to change that.”
Biden went on the attack against “the press,” accusing the media of hammering him over getting names wrong − “because I say Charlie instead of Bill” − while giving Trump a “free pass.” His remarks ignited boos from the crowd targeting the media.
On Thursday, Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” and Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.”
“No more free passes. Today we’re going to shine a spotlight on Donald Trump,” Biden told the auidence. “We’re going to do what the press so far hasn’t − but I think they’re going to soon. We’re going to say who he is, what he intends to do. Folks, Donald Trump is a convicted criminal.”
Biden later added: “Most importantly, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, Trump is a threat to this nation.”
Biden took aim above all at Project 2025, a 920-page policy blueprint of the Trump-aligned Heritage Foundation that includes plans to eliminate the FBI and Department of Education, banning abortion drugs, block climate change research, strip back transgender rights and replace career federal civil servants with political appointees.
Trump has recently sought to distance himself from Project 2025, even though it was drafted with the help of former Trump administration officials.
“It was a project built for Trump,” Biden said. “Folks, Project 2025 is the biggest attack on our system of government and personal freedoms that has never been proposed in the history of this country.”
Biden spoke more cogently at Thursday’s hour-long press conference than his disastrous June 27 debate with Trump, easing fears of some Democrats yet failing to stem the tide of Democrats in Congress calling for him to withdraw.
“We’ve never seen anything like this, and it’s not a joke,” Biden said of Trump. “It’s time for us to stop treating politics like entertainment and reality TV. Another four years of Donald Trump is deadly serious. His proposals are deadly serious.
“America needs to wake up and realize what Trump and his MAGA Republicans, what they’re trying to do,” Biden said. “We’re going to engage them and we’re gonna stop them.”
On the way to the rally, Biden made a previously announced stop at Garage Grill and Fuel Bar in Northville, Michigan, outside Detroit. “We love Joe” posters were displayed in the restaurant’s windows as Biden spoke without a teleprompter or notes.
“We gotta finish the job,” Biden told them, ending his 14 minutes of remarks with a reassurance: “I promise you: I’m OK.”
At the high school, Biden addressed supporters in an overflow area before taking the stage. He made a prediction: “It’s going to be all about Trump from here on out,” Biden said.
