NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) — As President Joe Biden ’s 50 years in elected office near an end, he doesn’t appear content to quietly exit the political stage. With a week to go before Election Day , Biden is intent on promoting his administration’s record and making the case for Americans to support Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats on the ballot — whether they want him or not.
He's determined to keep up a busy schedule during the final sprint to Nov. 5 even as many in his party appear to be keeping their distance from him. Biden, in an exchange with reporters Monday, played down the fact that he hasn’t campaigned side-by-side with Harris since their joint Labor Day campaign appearance in Pittsburgh and that he's held few public campaign appearances with Democrats in competitive races.
“I’ve done a lot of surrogate stuff, and the fact of the matter is that I’ve also had to continue to be president at the same time,” Biden told reporters after casting his early vote on Monday in his home state of Delaware. Biden said that he and Harris still “talk all the time.” He added that he has also made several visits to battleground states in his official capacity in recent months, and he plans to do more campaigning in the days ahead in Pennsylvania, including his childhood hometown of Scranton.
Officials say Biden also plans to attend a campaign-related event in Maryland on Tuesday with U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks, conduct a series of campa.