Trump convenes with Christian voters and seeks support from Pennsylvanians a day before the debate.
Trump is all set to speak at a gathering of conservative Christians in Washington, D.C. on Saturday afternoon, before heading to Philadelphia for a regular campaign rally in a crucial swing state. This contrasts with Biden's approach to the upcoming presidential debate, as he prepares at Camp David with briefing documents and mock debate sessions, working hard to gear up for his important meetings with Trump.
Trump has been maintaining an active campaign schedule, holding a rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday and attending a fundraiser in Ohio on Thursday night. In comparison, Biden's team is urging him to rest before the debate.
Trump's spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, has highlighted this difference, commenting that while Biden's advisors are isolating him at Camp David, Trump is pursuing his busy campaign schedule.
The event in Washington is the annual "Road to Majority" conference organized by the Faith & Freedom Coalition, led by influential evangelical leader Ralph Reed. Trump has addressed this conference nine times in the past, and he will do so again this Saturday. However, this time, he aims to distance himself from the strict anti-abortion stances of Christian groups like Faith & Freedom.
After advocating for a federal abortion ban and working to overturn Roe v. Wade, Trump now believes that future battles over abortion rights should be left to the states. This shift in stance came after Trump attributed the GOP's poor midterm performance in 2022 to the abortion issue, and before his party will vote on its first platform since Roe fell in the next month.
Ralph Reed does not believe that Trump's stance on abortion contradicts the views of faith voters. He states that neither side has the necessary votes to pass federal legislation reflecting their values, and the long-term political reality is that whichever side wins at the state level will generate momentum and eventual success at the federal level.
Democrats have intensified their campaigns and spent significant funds to remind voters of Trump's role in eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion. The Biden campaign characterized Trump's presence at the Washington event as evidence of his stance on the issue.
Trump's rally in Philadelphia on Saturday evening will be his fourth visit to Pennsylvania this year as the competition for this vital battleground state heats up. The Trump campaign has been attacking Biden for issues like inflation and crime to attract voters in Pennsylvania.
Southeast Pennsylvania has seen increased activity from both presidential campaigns. Trump held a rally in Lehigh Valley in April, and in February, he released a gym shoe in Philadelphia as part of his outreach to minorities.
Biden won an impressive 92% of Black votes in Pennsylvania during the 2016 elections, which played a vital role in his overall victory. However, a recent survey from The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Siena College found that Biden's support among Black voters in Pennsylvania has dropped to 50%.
In preparation for Trump's rally on Saturday, the Democratic National Committee has unveiled new ads criticizing Trump's record on supporting Black Americans and his impact on the Black community. The DNC will also display billboards in Philadelphia and have a mobile billboard circling the former president's rally, highlighting the higher unemployment rates for Black Americans under the Trump administration compared to the Biden administration, as well as the tax cuts that mainly benefited wealthier Americans. They will also set up "pro-Biden kiosks" around Temple University, the location of Trump's rally, to highlight the student loan debt relief and increase in public education funding delivered under the Biden administration.
The DNC argues that Trump was a disaster for minority communities, especially Black Americans, and that his record contradicts his claims of being non-racist. Over time, Trump has repeatedly insulted cities with significant Black populations, and during his term, jobs disappeared, unemployment more than doubled for Black Americans during the pandemic, and his tax reform widened the racial wealth gap.
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In his speech at the "Road to Majority" conference in Washington, D.C., Trump plans to distance himself from strict anti-abortion stances of Christian groups like Faith & Freedom, stating that future battles over abortion rights should be left to the states.
During his campaign rally in Philadelphia, Trump will continue to attack Biden on issues like inflation and crime to attract voters in Pennsylvania.
