Biden Appears At Rally With Democratic Gubernatorial Nominee Terry McAuliffe In Virginia

On Friday. President Joe Biden spoke at a campaign rally for the first time since last year, endorsing gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe, a former governor of Virginia who’s seeking to reclaim his old office in November.

Biden spoke in front of 3,000 people to praise McAuliffe’s record as governor during his tenure from 2014 to 2018. He also promoted his achievements as president since his inauguration earlier this year.

“In these off-year elections, the country is looking. This is a big deal,” Biden told a crowd Friday.

“I whipped Donald Trump in Virginia, and so will Terry,” he added.

Biden was also met with some hecklers who tried to interrupt his speech and disturb the rally.

“This is not a Trump rally. Let ’em holler. No one’s paying attention,” Biden said in response to the hecklers.

During Friday’s speech, Biden emphasized the importance of the midterms for the entire Democratic Party and the country’s collective goal to help American families.

“In this election and in 2022, the question the American people are going to be asking is whether or not we’re helping them and their families,” Biden said. “We have to show we do understand, and we’re delivering for them, and we’re keeping our promises. We just have to keep making the case just as the Republican Party today offers nothing but fear, lies and broken promises.”

Glenn Youngkin, McAuliffe’s Republican opponent, was not staying silent. Before the joint rally, Youngkin’s campaign released a statement claiming that the campaign event with Biden was a desperate move by McAuliffe’s side.

“Terry McAuliffe must be worried about his terrible poll numbers if he’s already calling in political favors this early in the campaign,” said Youngkin’s spokeswoman Macaulay Porter. “We’ll expect he’ll bring his mentors Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton here soon too, just like he did the first two times he ran for governor.”

According to the recent polls, McAuliffe is currently leading Youngkin by single digits in the Virginia race.

Article by Dongyoon Shin