Biden, 83, Stays Off Midterm Trail as Obama and Harris Ramp Up Campaigning
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 6
Biden, 83, Stays Off Midterm Trail as Obama and Harris Ramp Up Campaigning
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 6
Summary
Joe Biden has made only a handful of political appearances this year, leaving Democrats without a regular campaign surrogate four weeks before the midterms as they try to retake the House and Senate.
Advanced metastatic prostate cancer has kept the 83-year-old former president on a limited schedule, though allies say he is still endorsing candidates and helping raise money behind the scenes.
Barack Obama is cutting ads, fundraising and preparing to campaign in the closing stretch, while Kamala Harris is already visiting battlegrounds including Michigan with Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Democrats are split on Biden’s value: some strategists warn he could be a liability after his 2024 exit and weak approval ratings, while others say his 71% favorability among Democrats still gives him appeal.
The debate has been reignited by Jill Biden’s memoir and by lingering party anger over Biden’s role in the 2024 loss that returned Donald Trump to the White House.