President Joe Biden’s recent trip to Detroit, where he spoke for a whopping 36 minutes, was meant to shore up support in a critical swing state, but instead, it turned into a spectacle of absentee leaders and snarky jabs. The rally took place at 6 pm on a Friday, hardly a prime time when people are glued to their TVs watching the news.
Biden strategists take a page from Trump’s playbook.
The rally, whose location was held close to the vest for most of the day, appeared to feature a hand- picked crowd that seemed more bussed in than comprised of local supporters. They waved pre- printed “Motown is Joetown” signs and wore SEIU shirts, adding to the orchestrated atmosphere.
During what appeared to be a choreographed “lively” rally, Biden went on the offensive, calling Trump a “loser” and a “threat to this nation.” It’s rhetoric like this that many have blamed on the attempted assassination of Trump.
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Biden also poked the bear by saying, “He inherited millions of dollars only to squander it. He’s filed for bankruptcy six times. He even went bankrupt running a casino. I didn’t think that was even possible.”
Top Democrats MIA: Whitmer, Peters, and Slotkin bail.
Crain’s Detroit Business reported that Michigan’s top Democrats were conspicuously absent with Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a co-chair on Biden’s re-election campaign, mingling instead with tech moguls at a Sun Valley Conference in Idaho.
Whitmer managed a token statement on X, declaring “It’s always great to have President @JoeBiden in Detroit! Motor City is all in for Biden-Harris.” It’s no secret that Whitmer has her own political ambitions and has even suggested that Biden undergo a cognitive exam to reassure his supporters.
Joining Whitmer in her absence were Democratic Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, along with Democratic Senate candidate and Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin. Slotkin, who supported Biden virtually via X, must have had something more pressing than rallying in her own state. But who can blame her? There aren’t too many Democrats up for election who want to be standing next to the sinking Biden ship.
UAW President Shawn Fain was also nowhere to be seen as was Rep. Hillary Scholten from Michigan who has called for Biden to step aside, stating, “For the good of our democracy, I believe it is time for him to step aside from the presidential race and allow a new leader to step up.”
Biden’s loyalists like Rep. Debbie Dingell (who Biden called Debbie Haley) tried to keep the faith, but the absence of major Michigan Democrats painted a different picture.
Protesters give Biden a rocky reception.
Biden’s rally at Renaissance High School wasn’t just a gathering of supporters; it was also a magnet for protesters who were able to track him down.
About 50 pro-Palestian (anti-Israel) protesters showed up outside of the Renaissance High School where Biden spoke. A woman with a megaphone and a knack for rhymes yelled, “Biden, Biden, what do you say? How many kids have you killed today?” and there was the usual, “No justice, no peace” chant that leftists like to yell. In addition to that, there was the tried-and-true chant of “From the river to the sea, all of Gaza will be free.”
An energized imported crowd reacted to a defiant speech.
Despite the awkward absences of top Democrats in the state, Biden delivered a speech that attempted to energize the crowd. “You made me the nominee, no one else – not the press, not the pundits, not the insiders, not donors,” he declared.
The chants of “Don’t you quit!” and “We got your back!” echoed loudly from a crowd that some reported as thousands and others reported as hundreds. Online video shows a small crowd of supporters.
Biden didn’t just attack Trump; he took a swipe at the media, accusing them of focusing on his gaffes while giving Trump a “free pass.” The crowd, in true Trumpian fashion, booed the press, and chanted “lock him up, lock him up” in reference to Trump’s legal troubles.
Biden, trying to play both peacemaker and provocateur, told them to quiet down, but couldn’t hide his smirk.
The fallout: a tale of two parties.
The president’s rally might have shown that he still has some fight left in him (once in a while, if it’s not too late at night), but the no-shows from key Michigan Democrats tell a different story. Biden is Kryptonite, a curse, an ill-fated dude to hang out with – headed for disaster, on a collision course with a nursing home.
As Biden continues to push his “blue wall” strategy, hitting battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, he faces not just an external challenge from Trump, but an internal one from within his own party.
With Democrats like Scholten openly calling for new leadership, and prominent figures like Whitmer distancing themselves, Biden’s path to re-election looks increasingly uncertain with Biden fighting two battles at once – Biden vs. Trump and Biden vs. the Democrats.
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