- Vice President Kamala Harris met with black leaders in Pittsburgh, PA on Tuesday
- Harris is increasing her campaign events, despite lackluster approval ratings
- The Biden campaign is worried about losing support from black voters in critical swing states like Pennsylvania
Vice President Kamala Harris quietly met with a group of black leaders in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, as the Biden campaign works nervously to energize the black vote ahead of the 2024 election.
The meeting with black leaders took place after Harris delivered a speech on the administration’s efforts to replace lead pipes in Pennsylvania communities.
Harris met with Pennsylvania’s first black lieutenant governor, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, as well as State Rep. Summer Lee and eight black Pennsylvania mayors. The campaign meeting with Harris also included 10 black faith leaders, according to Pittsburgh mayor Ed Gainey, who shared a photo with Harris on X proclaiming ‘CommUnity.’
Vice President Kamala Harris visits the Kingsley Association in Larimer, Pa
Vice President Kamala Harris meets with black leaders in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
‘I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for coming to Pittsburgh and meeting with Black Mayors and Black Clergy from around Southwest PA,’ he wrote on X.
The Biden campaign continues scrambling to shore up support from black voters after a New York Times poll in November showed that 22% of black voters in six battleground states said they would support former President Donald Trump.
While 71% of black voters said they would back Biden, it was lower than expected as the poll showed that the president was losing support from black men.
Exit polls following the 2020 election revealed Biden carried the 87 percent of the black vote.
In February, the Biden campaign announced a mass outreach effort to black voters across the country, airing print and radio ads touting the Biden administration’s achievements as part of Black History Month.
The ads emphasize Biden’s commitment to diversity in his administration.
‘Black History is American History,’ the Biden ad says. ‘[W]e celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Defense Gen. Lloyd Austin, and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson … history makers who reflect president Joe Biden’s commitment to black America.’
Vice President Kamala Harris meets with black leaders in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Vice President Kamala Harris meets with black leaders in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Biden continues facing tough polling numbers in swing states. A Michigan poll released Wednesday shows Biden trailing Trump in a head-to-head matchup with only 41 percent support to Trump’s 45 percent.
A pair of Emerson College Polling/The Hill surveys released Wednesday shows Trump leading with 48 percent to Biden’s 42 percent in Georgia and leading Biden 47 percent to Biden’s 44 percent in South Carolina.
The Biden campaign is increasing the number of Harris events as she tries to reassert herself on the campaign trail.
In recent weeks, Harris has quietly hosted more listening sessions with alarmed Democrat leaders about the direction of Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign.
Top Democrat governors criticized Harris and the Biden campaign’s messaging on abortion, the handling of the migrant crisis, and their failure to reach young voters.
Harris has also hosted prominent black celebrities to the vice president’s residence for campaign conversations including comedian D.L. Hughley, film director Spike Lee, rapper Fat Joe, actor Don Cheadle and broadcaster Roland Martin, according to CNN.
Vice President Kamala Harris meets with black leaders in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Vice President Kamala Harris meets with black leaders in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Harris’ effectiveness on the trail is also blunted by her low approval ratings, even lower than Biden’s.
A recent NBC poll shows that Harris only had a 28 percent positive approval rating, while Biden checked in at 36 percent approval.
The relationship between Harris and Biden grew awkward in the first three years of their administration as Harris demonstrated she was unwilling to take on tough political issues for the president and Biden’s advisors grew less trusting of her political instincts.
The campaign has sidelined Harris to areas within her comfort zone, with her rallies focusing on black voters, women concerned about abortion rights, and college-age voters.
The Breakfast Club radio show host Charlamagne tha God
The Breakfast Club radio show host Charlamagne tha God
At the same time, prominent black voices have dismissed Biden as uninspiring and Harris as ineffective in driving black support to the polls.
Charlamagne tha God, a co-host of The Breakfast Club radio show said Harris had failed to meet his expectations in her first three years as vice president but that, ‘I don’t think it’s too late for her to pivot.’
He said he wanted to see more from Harris, arguing that she was more charismatic than Biden.
‘I’d like to see her going on outlets like Fox News. I’d like to see her going in there and mixing it up,’ he said.
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