Biden Campaigns in Nevada, Urges Democrats to 'Fix' America's 'Broken' System
President Joe Biden made a stop in Nevada Sunday as part of his two-day tour of the 2024 Democratic primary battleground state. Before an audience of roughly 300 supporters, the president participated in a town hall with the Las Vegas community, then headed to a nearby union hall to speak to members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 357.
Biden's trip to Nevada comes ahead of the state's Democratic primary on Tuesday, where he is set to face challenger Marianne Williamson and others. In the 2020 election, Biden narrowly beat out Donald Trump in Nevada by just over 33,000 votes, or less than 3% of the total vote. Given the close race in the state four years ago, Biden's team has made efforts to win over Latino voters, who make up roughly 30% of the state's population.
The president is expected to highlight his administration's achievements in renewable energy and infrastructure during his trip. He has recently been underscoring the need for Americans to unite behind his re-election bid, emphasizing the threats he believes Trump poses to American democracy.
On Sunday, Biden remarked, "I give you my word, we have to. There's not much of a choice here." In a potentially ominous warning to Republicans, he added, "I'm going to heal this nation."
At the town hall event, the president answered questions on a range of issues, including voting rights, immigration, and the economy. When asked about the possibility of a constitutional amendment for voting rights, Biden replied, "I'm afraid it's going to take a lot more than making it easier for people to vote."
He continued, "I believe we should set up national voting days, like we do for taxes, for example ... [with] a federal system that's closer to automatic registration, automatic voting, and automatic submission of ballots."
On the topic of immigration, Biden detailed his plans for a more "effective" and "orderly" immigration system and blamed Trump for the current crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. "It's hard to imagine, but it's true: Trump set this up," he said.
When another attendee asked about the economy and rising inflation, Biden responded, "Look, nobody got hurt more than I did with inflation ... but it's recovering." He pointed to lowered gas prices as evidence of his administration's success, adding, "The fact is that gas went up too high when [Trump was] there, and it went down when I pulled the trigger on [the Russia] sanctions."
The president is slated to continue his campaign efforts in Nevada on Monday, February 6th, before heading to Pennsylvania and Georgia ahead of Super Tuesday.