Biden courts Black voters, shifts focus away from Iowa

WASHINGTON (TND) — As the political world focuses on Iowa with just one week before ballots are cast— far away in Charleston, South Carolina, President Biden is engaged in his own critical push:

“With your help, I made Juneteenth the first federal holiday since Martin Luther King Day,” Biden told a mostly African American audience at the AME church Monday.

He did so in a state that secured his 2020 nomination and gave praise to the congressman credited with saving Biden’s White House hopes then, who now sees serious pitfalls.

CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., over the weekend, “How worried are you about Black voters showing up for President Biden in November?”

I'm very concerned, and I have sat down with President Biden,” Clyburn responded. “My problem is we have not been able to break through that MAGA wall in order to get to people exactly what this president has done.

Rep. Clyburn said Biden relieved student debt, lowered unemployment and put an African American woman on the Supreme Court. But, Clyburn said he isn’t getting enough credit.

On top of that, poll numbers paint an alarming picture for Biden and his team, counting on that key voting bloc that at the moment, appears splintered.

While Biden still is overwhelmingly the favorite among Black voters, support sits at just 63%. That’s a massive dip from exit polls after the 2020 election that showed Biden carrying Black voters by more than 90%, per Politico.

According to the Washington Post, President Obama recently met with Biden offering guidance on how to improve his campaign staffing and strategies. The two have also teamed up for more online attention, standing side-by-side in a recent video promoting the Affordable Care Act.

However, it’s not just Black voters looking elsewhere, as polls show Latino and young voters are also shopping around.