Democratic Representative and likely U.S. Senate nominee Elissa Slotkin of Michigan will not be in attendance at President Joe Biden’s rally Friday in Detroit.
Her absence will be alongside those of Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is currently carrying out a book tour, Politico reported. This news comes the day after Biden’s gaffe-filled speech following the conclusion of NATO’s 75th Anniversary Summit had further fueled concerns that he is unfit for office. (RELATED: ‘Great Job, Joe!’: Donald Trump Mocks Biden’s Gaffes At Solo Press Conference)
Slotkin’s absence is significant as she is locked in a tight battle with former Republican Michigan representative and likely GOP nominee for U.S. Senate Mike Rogers. The Cook Political Report shifted the race to “Tossup” from “Leaning Democrat” on Thursday. Slotkin has a small 3.7% lead over Rogers in RealClearPolling’s (RCP) average but is sitting at only 42% support.
President Biden’s political viability has been the main focus of American politics since his disastrous debate performance last month. This choice by Slotkin not to campaign with the sitting president could signal a lack of confidence in the President’s ability to carry on. More concerning for Biden, it may indicate that she considers him a liability for her Senate bid. The choice to keep Biden at arms’ length has been made by several Senate Democrats in battleground states already, NBC reported.
NEW at @CookPolitical: #MISen moves from Lean D to Toss Up as Senate Democrats try to defy political gravity amid Biden’s drag.
Incumbent Dems running ahead of Biden — for now. Little data so far. But open seats harder without established brand https://t.co/aIyXSrW1z1
— Jessica Taylor (@JessicaTaylor) July 11, 2024
Donald Trump currently holds a small .6% lead over Biden in the state’s RCP average. Michigan is considered by many pundits to be a must-win state for Biden if he wants to secure a second term in the White House.
Rep. Slotkin’s office did not respond in time to the Daily Caller’s request for a comment.