ROCKVILLE, Maryland — November’s midterm elections are about choice but not simply abortion access, President Joe Biden asserted as he made his debut on the 2022 campaign trail.
During a rally in decidedly Democratic Rockville on Thursday, Biden listed the slate of issues he contended would figuratively be on the ballot in 76 days, from the economy to the climate to reproductive rights.
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“Are you ready to fight for these things?” he asked the energized crowd of more than 3,500 people packed into Richard Montgomery High School.
Biden, without a jacket or the presidential seal, zeroed in on MAGA “burn-it-all-down” Republicans. Framed by attendees waving red, white, and blue signs reading “Building A Better America” and “USA,” he admitted that while he respects “conservative Republicans,” he had lost it for former President Donald Trump’s followers.
“Donald Trump isn’t just a former president,” he said. “He is a defeated former president.”
“It’s not hyperbole,” Biden added. “Now, you need to vote to literally save democracy again.”
Biden’s speech, interrupted briefly by a pro-Trump protester and extended applause for his proposed assault-style weapons ban, ultimately pitched the midterm cycle as a contest of two “visions,” one of “anger, violence, hate, and division” and another of “unity, hope, and optimism.” He insisted the country, thanks to his leadership, is on the right track after the pandemic’s upheaval.
Biden’s remarks followed those at a fundraiser in nearby Bethesda. The event’s 100 invited guests raised $1 million for the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund, according to a DNC official. The organization has raised what it claims is a midterm record of $255 million, more than $92 million this year alone.
“What we’re seeing now is either the beginning or the death knell of an extreme MAGA philosophy,” Biden said there. “It’s not just Trump; it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the — I’m going to say something, it’s like semifascism.”
Biden’s rally and fundraiser were scheduled one day after he announced he is forgiving $10,000 in student loan debt for those earning less than $125,000, or $20,000 in debt for eligible Pell Grant recipients. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pointed to polling indicating Biden’s executive action has been well received despite Democrats in competitive races voicing their reservations.
“I can speak to the popularity of what we did, the importance of what we did, how this is going to help struggling families,” she said Thursday afternoon. “That has always been the plan of this president, especially as we’re looking at the economy and making sure that we do not leave anybody behind.”
Some Democrats, including Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan (OH) and Sen. Michael Bennett (CO), have either been candid about not inviting Biden to their state or have sidestepped talking about the prospect of presidential travel.
“The president loves to go out there and meet with the American people,” Jean-Pierre said. “We believe that Democrats have a lot to sell. We have done a lot to deliver for the American people.”
Biden’s first foray into the fall fights coincides with Democratic political momentum after a summer of unexpected legislative achievements. Republicans only have an average 0.2-percentage-point edge on Democrats in generic congressional ballot polling, according to RealClearPolitics. Republicans still have a 78% chance of flipping the House, but Democrats have a 64% chance of keeping the Senate, according to FiveThirtyEight.
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Biden is expected in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 30 before heading to Licking County, Ohio, on Sept. 9.
