Some Congressional Democrats are apparently looking to distance their campaigns from President Joe Biden as they head into the 2024 election, according to Axios.
Five months out from the 2024 election, President Joe Biden is struggling in head-to-head matchups, both nationally and across key swing states, against former President Donald Trump. The poor polling coming from Biden have caused several Democratic lawmakers to “Biden-proof” their campaign in an effort to help boost their already close races, the candidates told Axios. (RELATED: ‘Competent Loyalists’: Insiders Detail Why Trump’s Campaign Is Firing On All Cylinders Like Never Before)
“[There is] more distancing now as his numbers continue to tank,” one House Democrat told the outlet, saying his campaign was “pretty much washing my hands of his campaign.”
US President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at the South Side restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 29, 2024. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The candidates distancing their campaigns from Biden is an alternative to publicly “rejecting” the president, Democratic incumbents, candidates and operatives told the outlet.
“[There is] always an element where you run your own race,” but “it’s even more pronounced,” a House Democrat told Axios.
Other Democrats, particularly in swing districts, are trying to publicly differentiate themselves from Biden in terms of policy, Axios reported. A coalition of House Democrats wrote to the president in May, urging him to take executive action on the southern border crisis, CBS News reported.
“It has become clear that the current situation remains untenable, but with Republicans playing politics on border security, it is time for your administration to act,” the letter, obtained by the outlet, read. “We urge you to use all tools at your disposal, including executive action, to better address security at the Southern border, interdict illicit fentanyl and allow for orderly legal immigration.”
Biden is expected to sign an executive order to address the border crisis on Tuesday after months of debate on the issue. The president was reportedly searching for the “right language” to craft an executive order in April after weeks of blaming Congressional Republicans for the migrant crisis. Biden also said he was examining whether he had the “power” to take action to address the U.S.-Mexico border. (RELATED: White House Responds To Dramatic Border Video: It’s Trump’s Fault)
“Joe Biden created 15 million jobs, capped the price of insulin at $35 and made health care more affordable than ever,” Kevin Munoz, Biden campaign spokesperson, told Axios. “That record of historic results for the American people is what the president and Democrats across the country will be running on.”