Biden looks to maintain relevance in political conversation in final sprint to Election Day

NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) — As President Joe Biden ’s 50 years successful elected agency adjacent an end, he doesn’t look contented to softly exit nan governmental stage.

With a week to spell earlier Election Day, Biden is intent connected promoting his administration’s grounds and making nan lawsuit for Americans to support Vice President Kamala Harris and different Democrats connected nan ballot — whether they want him aliases not.

He’s wished to support up a engaged schedule during nan last sprint to Nov. 5 moreover arsenic galore successful his statement look to beryllium keeping their region from him.

Biden, successful an speech pinch reporters Monday, played down nan truth that he hasn’t campaigned side-by-side pinch Harris since their associated Labor Day run quality successful Pittsburgh and that he’s held fewer nationalist run appearances pinch Democrats successful competitory races.

“I’ve done a batch of surrogate stuff, and nan truth of nan matter is that I’ve besides had to proceed to beryllium president astatine nan aforesaid time,” Biden told reporters after casting his early vote connected Monday successful his location authorities of Delaware.

Biden said that he and Harris still “talk each nan time.” He added that he has besides made respective visits to battleground states successful his charismatic capacity successful caller months, and he plans to do much campaigning successful nan days up successful Pennsylvania, including his puerility hometown of Scranton.

Officials opportunity Biden besides plans to be a campaign-related arena successful Maryland connected Tuesday pinch U.S. Senate campaigner Angela Alsobrooks, behaviour a bid of run calls connected Thursday, and return to battleground Pennsylvania connected Friday to spotlight Democratic support for unions.

Biden said nan Harris run is asking him to spell “where they deliberation I should beryllium to thief them nan most.”

He had pledged to run hard for Democrats aft dropping out. Yet fewer Democrats person invited him to run by their broadside since he ended his reelection bid.

The move has meant nan outgoing president has had to pick his spots carefully arsenic he tries to stay a applicable sound successful a chaotic governmental season.

Trump connected Monday took to his societal media level to mock Harris and Democrats for keeping Biden astatine arm’s length.

“The Democrats person not only greatly demeaned and embarrassed Crooked Joe Biden, but now they’re demanding that he beryllium obscurity adjacent Lyin’ Kamala’s Campaign,” Trump said connected Truth Social. “It’s not bully capable that they took nan Presidency distant from him, conscionable for illustration you return candy distant from a baby, but now they person to further embarrass him by telling him to, “GET LOST.”

To beryllium certain, not each Democrats are avoiding Biden.

Two Democratic Senate candidates, Pennsylvania incumbent Sen. Bob Casey and Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, campaigned pinch Biden this month. Both person heavy ties to nan president.

Biden connected Monday stopped astatine a meal spot adjacent his location extracurricular Wilmington pinch Rochester, a longtime state who is vying to go nan first Black female to correspond Delaware successful nan U.S. Senate.

The nighttime earlier their breakfast, he formally endorsed Blunt Rochester successful a short video that her run released connected societal media. Biden, successful his endorsement, praised Blunt Rochester for being “Delaware done and through.”

The four-term House lawmaker has known Biden for astir 30 years and is heavy favored to triumph nan spot successful nan Democratic-dominated Delaware.

At respective moments complete nan past fewer weeks, Biden has utilized run trips successful friends settings to troll Trump.

At a Pittsburgh national hallway connected Saturday, Biden coiled done a mostly modular run reside earlier veering into a crisp onslaught connected Trump backer Elon Musk. He accused nan billionaire tech mogul of moving illegally erstwhile he first came to nan United States to be college.

The “wealthiest man successful nan world is now his ally, right?” Biden said, referring to a caller Washington Post study questioning Musk’s position erstwhile he was a student astatine Stanford University. “Well, that wealthiest man successful nan world turned retired to beryllium forbidden worker present erstwhile he was here” arsenic a student.

Musk, who was calved successful South Africa, denies nan allegation.

Last week, during a extremity astatine a New Hampshire run agency to meet Democratic volunteers, Biden borrowed immoderate of Trump’s crisp rhetoric.

“We’ve sewage to fastener him up,” Biden told nan volunteers, earlier quickly amending his comments to statement he meant that Democrats request to “politically fastener him up.”

Blunt Rochester joined Biden connected Monday arsenic he waited successful statement for astir 40 minutes astatine a engaged early voting location not acold from his home.

Biden thought he had 1 much predetermination successful him earlier deciding to end his campaign successful July because of Democrats’ increasing worries astir his chances of defeating Trump.

He chatted pinch voters arsenic he waited successful statement to formed his ballot, and helped push an older female successful a wheelchair who was up of him. He handed his recognition to a predetermination worker, who had him motion a shape and announced: “Joseph Biden now voting.”

Outside nan polling place, Biden told reporters that nan infinitesimal was much “sweet” than bitter. He expressed assurance erstwhile asked if he thought Democrats — including Harris -- would win.

“I deliberation we will,” he said.

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AP newsman Colleen Long successful Washington contributed reporting.