Gov. Josh Shapiro during a campaign event for President Joe Biden at Montgomery County Community College January 5, 2024 in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
While President Joe Biden is taking the stage to face former President Donald Trump for the first presidential debate of the 2024 election, Gov. Josh Shapiro is rallying support for the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee at a watch party in the state’s capital.
“This election is a referendum on us,” Shapiro said at the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center. “And this election is a choice between a man who loves this nation and wants to take us forward and help us perfect our union in Joe Biden and a person who lives in a dark place, who I believe, doesn’t love America and doesn’t want to move America forward in a more prosperous, fair way.”
Shapiro has emerged as one of the most vocal surrogates for the Biden-Harris ticket in Pennsylvania. He joined Biden on the campaign trail in the commonwealth earlier this year and has made frequent appearances on MSNBC boosting Biden’s policies and his reelection bid. He made headlines nationwide during a June 10 appearance on MSNBC when he told Trump to “quit whining” and “stop s—t talking America.”
Shapiro reiterated that line about Trump “s— talking America” on Thursday evening.
In addition to being one of Biden’s most active campaigners, Shapiro is frequently mentioned as a possible presidential candidate for the Democratic Party nomination in 2028. He even made a visit to address Democrats in New Hampshire last year, which continued to fuel the speculation about a potential future run.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, the youngest lieutenant governor in the country, is also in attendance at the debate watch event to drum up support for the Biden-Harris ticket.
Polling has shown that young voters have expressed concern about Biden and Trump’s age. Davis believes only one candidate in the race is addressing the concerns of these voters.
“When I talk to young people, they’re concerned about climate change, they’re concerned about gun violence, they’re concerned about college affordability and there’s only one candidate that has put positions forward to deal with those problems and that’s Joe Biden,” he told reporters.
Dauphin County Democratic Party Chair Rogette Harris also expressed confidence that Biden was going to provide a message about why he and his policies deserve a second term.
“Tonight, Donald Trump is going to remind everyone why he’s an ex,” Harris said. “He’s the guy from a bad relationship that keeps trying to come back, but we have to remind voters why he’s an ex in the first place and keep him one.”
Biden and Trump appear to be locked in a close race for Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes. An Emerson College poll released last week showed Trump leading Biden in Pennsylvania by 2 points.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
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