The comments, made at dueling rallies in New York and Florida, underscored the bleak outlook facing Biden’s Democrats despite fulfilling his promises to boost clean energy incentives and rebuild damaged roads and bridges. Republicans have blasted Biden for high inflation and increased crime in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and nonpartisan forecasters favor him to win control of the House — and possibly the Senate. Early Democratic leads in Senate races in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Nevada have evaporated. Control of even one department would allow Republicans to block Democrat Biden’s legislative agenda and launch potentially damaging investigations. Biden warned that many Republican candidates are threatening Democratic norms by repeating Trump’s false claims of a stolen election in 2020. “Democracy is literally on the ballot,” he told students at Sarah Lawrence College, north of New York. “You can’t love the country only when you’re winning.” At a Trump rally in Miami, meanwhile, the former president recycled many of his baseless complaints about the 2020 election and hinted that he may soon announce another presidential run. “I’ll probably have to do it again, but stay tuned,” he said, blaming the Biden administration for everything from violent crime to dirty airports. U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama attend a campaign rally for Democratic U.S. senatorial candidate John Fetterman and Pennsylvania Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., November 5, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Trump advisers say an announcement about the 2024 presidential election could come sometime this month. Despite Biden’s warnings about democracy, many of his fellow Democrats have focused on more practical issues, such as their work to lower prescription drug prices and defend Social Security. While many have campaigned for abortion rights, polls show it has faded as a top concern among voters. Republicans have questioned Democrats’ support for law enforcement and capitalized on concerns about crime, which has emerged as a major election issue after homicide rates spiked during the COVID pandemic. “In two short years, don’t you feel the pain?” Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker said at a rally in Georgia. “This is on their watch.” Democrats have been overwhelmed by Biden’s unpopularity, which has forced him to hold back from campaigning in competitive states. Only 40 percent of Americans approve of his job performance, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that ended Tuesday. Biden spoke in normally safe Democratic territory outside New York City, where Republicans are threatening to make gains. New York’s Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul faces an unexpectedly tough challenge from Republican Lee Zeldin, while Democratic House incumbents are locked in tight battles across the state. Vice President Kamala Harris visited Chicago, another Democratic stronghold, where she said Democrats could pass national abortion rights legislation if they add to their margin in the Senate. “If we get two more senators, the president can sign it into law,” he said. First Lady Jill Biden visited Texas, a Republican-dominated state with a handful of competitive races. “Choosing who leads our community is one way we live out our faith,” he told congregants at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston. Additional reporting by Nathan Layne in Georgia, Tyler Clifford in New York and Gram Slattery in Washington. Andy Sullivan writes. Editing: Daniel Wallis, Deepa Babington and Kenneth Maxwell Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
