President Joe Biden delivered remarks at a Philadelphia church service just days after he declared that only “the Lord Almighty” could force him out of the presidential race and as his campaign looks to bolster support in key swing states after the recent presidential debate.
Biden — the former professor of Presidential Practice at Penn — delivered remarks at the Mount Airy Church of God in Christ, which is located in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Northwest Philadelphia. He was warmly received by the congregation as he touted his legislative accomplishments. The visit is Biden’s sixth to Philadelphia this year. Aiming to engage rank-and-file Democratic voters, this Biden-Harris campaign event is part of a series occurring across the Commonwealth this weekend.
“Hello, hello, it’s good to be home,” Biden said to cheers from the crowd as he began his remarks following an introduction from Bishop Louis Felton.
President Biden’s seven-minute speech highlighted several legislative achievements, including student loan forgiveness and measures to address gun violence. Biden held onto the lectern at times during his speech and at other times raised one or both hands for emphasis or to gesture to the congregation of several hundred.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, and I — honest to God — have never been more optimistic about America’s future — if we stick together,” Biden said.
He made only one reference to his age during his remarks and did not mention 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump.
“I know I look like I’m 40 years old,” Biden joked before adding that he’s “been doing this for a long time.”
Before Biden spoke, Felton delivered a sermon that served as a rallying call of support for the president and urged the congregation to pray for him multiple times.
“We must challenge the so-called notion that they are individuals on the conservative wing of the political spectrum who are right,” Felton said. “We need to change that, because you can’t be right and kill police officers on January 6.”
Felton referred to Biden’s appearance at the church as an act of God — referencing the fact that Biden’s previously scheduled remarks to an education union were canceled.
“God knew President Biden needs some love,” Felton said.
At various points during the ceremony, Biden appeared engaged, tapping his foot to the music and nodding his head. At other moments, the president appeared to zone out.
Pennsylvania Democrats flocked to support Biden during his visit, even as Democratic officials continue to publicly and privately call for him to withdraw from the race. Philadelphia Mayor and 2016 Fels Institute of Government graduate Cherelle Parker and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) joined Biden at the church service.
Following the service, the president greeted members of the congregation in the sanctuary by taking pictures, conversing, and shaking hands. The president also stopped at the Roxborough Democratic Coordinated Campaign Office to greet volunteers and supporters alongside Parker and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).
Biden then traveled to Harrisburg, where he participated in a rally at his Harrisburg campaign headquarters alongside First Lady Jill Biden, Fetterman, and local labor leaders. They discussed union and labor policies and posed for photos with supporters.
“I’m the most pro-union president in American history,” Biden said at the rally. “Corporate profits have doubled. Doubled. And we’ve gotta do something about it.”
The president also stopped in at a local coffee shop with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
In Bucks County on Saturday morning, California Gov. and Biden surrogate Gavin Newsom spoke alongside Pennsylvanian Democratic officials — including Pennsylvania state Sen. and 1992 University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School graduate Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks) — at a rally in support of the president.
Newsom, who has been a staunch supporter of Biden in the wake of the presidential debate, referred to the 2024 presidential race as a choice between “daylight and darkness” and “right and wrong.”
“If Donald Trump succeeds, God help us. We will roll back the last half century,” Newsom said, drawing a contrast between Trump’s policies and Biden’s.
“Voting rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, not just access to abortion — access to contraception, all of those things are on the ballot, Bucks County,” Newsom added. “And we are counting on you.”
Philadelphia has been a popular campaign spot for both the Biden and Trump campaigns as they attempt to win over voters in battleground states. On June 22, Trump spoke at a campaign rally at Temple University’s Liacouras Center, where he attacked Biden and doubled down on his previous rhetoric regarding immigration, crime, and the economy.
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