On Tuesday, President Biden made a surprise stop at a Mexican restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was scheduled to speak at a Latinos for President Biden rally.
During the event, the president abruptly walked off the stage after noticing a baby in the crowd. The seemingly awkward moment was met with cheers as Biden sat down with the baby and its mother.
The campaign event, led by Biden’s campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez, aimed to rally Latino voters to support the President in the 2024 election. Rodríguez reminded the crowd that Biden’s victory in the 2020 election was largely due to the support of Latino voters, and she urged them to vote for him again in the upcoming election.
Luis Reyes, a junior at Arizona State University, also took the stage to introduce Biden. He shared that he voted for the first time in a presidential election on Tuesday, citing his fear that former President Trump would deport migrants as his motivation. This fear is shared by many in the Latino community in Arizona, making them a key voting bloc in the upcoming election.
After initially leaving the stage to interact with the baby and its mother, Biden returned to the stage to address the crowd. He expressed his fondness for the little baby and told the audience that he couldn’t resist spending a few moments with the child.
Biden gets distracted and wanders off stage pic.twitter.com/Rk9VczNa20
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 19, 2024
During his speech, Biden emphasized the significance of Latino voters in the 2020 election and how he will need their support again in 2024. He also took a jab at Trump, stating that Latinos showed their power at the polls by defeating the former president in the last election.
The event in Phoenix marked the start of the Biden campaign’s efforts to reach out to Hispanic voters. This voting bloc has traditionally shown strong support for Democratic candidates, but recent polls have shown a decline in support for Biden among Latino voters. The President’s appearance at the rally was an attempt to shore up this support and win back any voters who may have been swayed by Trump’s campaign messaging.
After the event, Arizona Democratic Party chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano spoke with reporters and criticized Trump for his business practices. She stated that while he may be perceived as a successful businessman, the numerous legal challenges and scandals during his presidency have shown him to be dishonest and incapable of running the country.
Biden’s impromptu interaction with the baby at the event struck a chord with many in the crowd and garnered positive media attention. Some praised Biden’s genuine and down-to-earth demeanor, while others saw it as a successful PR move to portray him as a compassionate leader. Either way, the moment showcased Biden’s likability and human connection with voters.
