WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden traveled to Florida on Thursday, taking his post-State of the Union roadshow on to the epicenter of the Republican Celebration.
Florida shouldn’t be solely residence to the 2 prime contenders for the Republican nomination to problem Biden in 2024, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, but in addition Republican Sen. Rick Scott, whom the president has tried to solid because the main opponent to Medicare and Social Safety.
Biden mentioned he would use the journey to tout his successes, arguing persons are simply not acquainted with what his administration has completed.
“We simply received to verify everyone is aware of what we’ve executed. Watch the way it unfolds and see what occurs,” Biden mentioned Wednesday in an interview with PBS.
In his speech on Thursday on the College of Tampa, Biden talked about Medicare and Social Safety, a continuation of his State of the Union handle in which he vowed to guard the 2 social security internet applications.
“I do know that a number of Republicans, their dream is to chop Social Safety and Medicare. Properly let me let you know this — if that is your dream, I am your nightmare,” he mentioned to loud cheers from the viewers.
Florida-based Republican strategist Ford O’Connell mentioned Biden’s Tuesday handle “wasn’t your typical State of the Union, it was a deceptive and divisive partisan speech which signaled the unofficial kickoff of his 2024 reelection bid. And it’s no mistake that Biden goes to Florida quickly after the handle. Florida shouldn’t be solely the epicenter of immediately’s GOP, however it’s residence to the biggest senior inhabitants in the nation.”
Within the handle, Biden pointed to Scott’s proposal to routinely sundown authorities applications each 5 years, requiring Congress to proceed to resume them with a brand new vote. Biden argued that the proposal would successfully finish Social Safety and Medicare.
“Some Republicans need Medicare and Social Safety to sundown. I’m not saying it’s a majority,” Biden mentioned, whereas being interrupted by a refrain of “boos” from Republican lawmakers.
“Anyone who doubts it, contact my workplace. I’ll provide you with a duplicate. I’ll provide you with a duplicate of the proposal,” he added.
On Wednesday at an occasion in Wisconsin, Biden held up a duplicate of Scott’s proposal.
“I received his brochure proper right here,” mentioned Biden, who held it up and learn from it, “All federal laws sunsets each 5 years. If a regulation is price holding, Congress can move it once more.”
In his speech on Thursday, Biden once more went after Scott and referenced what occurred throughout the State of the Union.
“The very thought the senator from Florida desires to place Social Safety and Medicare on the chopping block each 5 years, I discover to be considerably outrageous — so outrageous you may not even consider it,” Biden mentioned.
In a preview of the kind of criticism DeSantis is more likely to lob at Biden, the governor held a press convention on Wednesday with stacks of containers of gasoline stoves behind him — a nod to the outrage du jour, the declare that the Biden administration goes to ban gasoline stoves in the title of security and defending the setting (the administration has mentioned it isn’t.) The governor has proposed making gasoline stoves tax-exempt.
The White Home has concurrently argued the president is in bipartisanship whereas taking swipes at Republicans.
“You heard an optimistic speech from him concerning the future, how he sees the subsequent two years, and he’ll proceed to try this,” White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre informed reporters on Wednesday. “He’ll proceed to speak about not betting towards the American folks, how we must be optimistic, how he’s keen to work throughout the aisle.”
However O’Connell, who served as a surrogate for Trump in the White Home and on the marketing campaign path, mentioned Trump and DeSantis might decide to disregard Biden in their state.
“Biden is attempting to make the case that he’s prepared for the battle regardless of the mounting criticism inside his personal get together,” O’Connell mentioned. “Trump and DeSantis may very nicely stay silent throughout the journey as a result of each males would love nothing greater than to face Biden in the final election.”
The White Home on Thursday took one other swipe at Scott, who defended his proposal throughout an interview with CNN, saying, “If you happen to care about preserving Medicare and Social Safety, we’ll determine begin residing inside our means.”
Scott responded by difficult Biden to a debate.
