US Edition
Why Joe Biden is railing against the ‘elites’
Strategy to paint those calling for him to quit as out of touch and white, with president wanting to be seen as voice of Middle America
When an angry Joe Biden called into MSNBC’s Morning Joe show on Monday he blamed the “elites” for trying to oust him from the presidential campaign.
“I’m getting so frustrated by the elites... who think they know so much more,” he said during the phone-in live on US morning TV.
His comments were part of an aggressive day of messaging telling critics inside his own party that he would not step down.
But it was also part of a carefully coordinated effort to paint his detractors as out of touch and liberal – and mostly white.
As the president fights for his political life, his inner circle are beginning to focus the conversation on racial lines to mount their defence.
“I’m here for two reasons pal,” Mr Biden said in his tirade as he defended his decision to stay in the race. “One to rebuild the economy for hard working middle class people. Number two, remember all this talk about how I don’t have the black support? Come on, give me a break. Watch”.
‘Risk of alienating the Democratic Party base’
Mr Biden has long relied on his upbringing in Scranton, Pennsylvania’s industrial heartland, and his historic support among black Democrats, to paint himself as the voice of Middle America.
It was African American voters in particular who salvaged his presidential bid at the 11th hour in 2020.
Mr Biden likes to refer to this support base as the true soul of the Democratic Party, and is convinced that, in his hour of need, it will rally behind him once again.
Cedric Richmond, a senior black Democratic official, and a key member of the Biden campaign, is among those to have highlighted the fact that “not one African-American member [of Congress] has called on the president to step down”.
Mr Richmond warned that white lawmakers sounding the alarm over Mr Biden’s electability “risk alienating some of their base” by turning on the president.
Anita Dunn, an influential member of the Biden brain trust, but one who rarely speaks publicly, has notably broken cover to argue the same point.
“The people Joe Biden fights for – middle-class labour union members, blacks, Latinos – they know he fights for them and they’re going to stay in the fight for him,” she told Politico.
It may not be an argument that persuades key Democratic donors, but it could well force the hand wringing back behind closed doors – at least until his next major blunder.
For now, Mr Biden intends to continue to wage his campaign by touting himself as the voice of black Democratic voters.
There are obvious limitations to this argument. For one, polls show Mr Biden’s support among minority groups, especially black men, has eroded since 2020. Tommy Vietor, a former spokesman for Barack Obama’s administration, said Mr Biden’s claims were “just not factually accurate”.
For another, the argument that Democratic opposition to the president’s re-election comes from a minority of white elites will be immediately undercut if others join their ranks.
Mr Biden has been boosted for now by Steven Horsford, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, who declared: “Joe Biden is the nominee. We’re not going back, we’re going forward”.
But calls from senior black Democrats for Mr Biden to step aside in the months ahead could fatally wound him.
Kamala Harris profile being boosted
As he goes on the offensive, Mr Biden and his White House allies have also attempted to mitigate his political vulnerability by promoting his vice president, Kamala Harris.
After years of being criticised for staying silent about Ms Harris’ onslaught of negative press, Mr Biden’s aides have begun to boost his deputy’s standing.
“She is increasing her role [in the 2024 election] and she’s been a valued partner since day one,” Mr Richmond, a campaign co-chair, said over the weekend.
“She is a valuable partner. She’s incredibly intelligent,” he told MSNBC. “She has not only publicly stated her support for President Biden, but she’s privately said that too.”
Ms Harris has tread a delicate balance amid Washington chatter over the potential for her to succeed Mr Biden. The vice president, like her potential rivals, governors Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Newsom, has reiterated her support for a second Biden term.
Yet all three are reportedly privately preparing for the alternative.
Mr Biden remains defiant, laying down the gauntlet for rivals to “run against me” on Monday. His aggressive new line of attack may mute his critics for now. But it is unlikely to silence them forever.