President Joe Biden hopes to boost reelection odds, slams Florida’s 6-week abortion ban during Tampa visit
TAMPA, Fla. - President Joe Biden visited Tampa on Tuesday where he spoke at Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry campus.
Biden landed at Tampa International Airport around 2 p.m. and spent about two-and-a-half hours in the area.
The president stumped in Tampa for two reasons. First, the campaign visit draws contrast with his presumed Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump. Biden can travel to Florida, while Trump, who lives in Florida, is stuck in a New York courtroom in a felony trial.
READ: Florida woman headed to prison after stealing, selling Biden’s daughter’s diary 4 years ago
Second, Biden sees Tampa as one of the best places to make his argument for national abortion rights based on current events. The Tampa Bay area is the largest media market in a state that will soon ban most abortions beyond six weeks into pregnancy beginning May 1.
Biden is hoping his Tampa speech will motivate abortion rights advocates in Florida. While Florida’s 6-week abortion ban is set to take place next week, there is an amendment that will be on the November ballot that will increase the ban to 24 weeks.
Gov. Ron DeSantis calls the abortion amendment ‘radical,’ because it would override parental consent laws.
A recent poll from Emerson College shows 40% of voters plan to vote yes on the state's abortion amendment, 25% plan to vote no, and 32% said they have not yet decided. The amendment needs 60% support to pass.
That same poll shows Trump leading the state over Biden 51% to 38%.
Biden was also looking beyond Florida to the key swing states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. By choosing Tampa, he's using Florida and its new six-week law as an example of where Trump's position of leaving abortion to the states can lead.
"Look, next week, one of the nation's most extreme anti-abortion laws will take effect here in Florida," Biden said. "Trump goes on to say individual state laws are working, his words brilliantly, brilliantly. It's a six-week ban in Florida. That’s really brilliant, isn't it. And for women who don’t know they're pregnant — is that brilliant?"
Biden lost Florida by more than three points in 2020 when Democrats outnumbered Republicans. Florida now has nearly 900,000 more Republicans than Democrats. However, Biden still thinks Florida is in play for him in November for several reasons beyond the issue of abortion.
For example, Biden cited his advantage in national fundraising.
"I'm really excited. We've raised a half billion dollars so far," Biden noted. "So far we have 1.6 million contributors."
The Florida Democratic Party also changed management after its blowout losses in 2022. President Biden has a high opinion of Florida Democratic Chair Nikki Fried. Biden told a group of Tampa Bay area party activists he made her promise to run (for state party leadership) again.
Democrats did pull a big upset last year in Jacksonville’s mayoral race. And just a few weeks ago, Democrat Tom Keen unexpectedly flipped a state house seat in the Orlando area after being greatly outspent.
President Biden is hoping those could be bellwethers of future Democratic wins in Florida, especially with an abortion rights amendment on the ballot in November that could motivate progressive voter turnout.
Biden left Tampa around 4:30 p.m.
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