President Joe Biden cast his vote for president Monday, and the outgoing commander in chief found himself in the rare predicament of waiting in line.
At an early voting center in New Castle, Delaware, Biden stood outside with a crowd of 2024 election voters, including one red-hatted supporter of former President Donald Trump.
Not tapping into presidential priorities, Biden’s vote took just under 40 minutes. The president, 81, isn’t on the ballot after bowing out of the race this summer due to pressure from his party. Instead, his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, is.
When asked if it was bittersweet, Biden said: “This is sweet.”
The president has campaigned some for Harris but has stayed relatively out of the spotlight during the final weeks of the race. Harris has sought, at times, to distance herself from Biden, billing herself as the change candidate for voters tired of inflation. Instead, she’s tapped former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama for star power to boost her campaign.
“I’ve done a lot of surrogacy, but the fact of the matter is I’ve always had to be president at the same time,” Biden told reporters when asked if he wished more candidates asked to campaign with him.
The RealClearPolitics polling average shows Harris and former President Donald Trump virtually tied with just over one week until Election Day.
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Biden spent the morning with Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), who is running to replace retiring Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE). The pair ate breakfast at The Legend Restaurant & Bakery in New Castle before heading to the polling center.
President Biden and Senate candidate Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester after breakfast at The Legend Restaurant & Bakery New Castle Delaware … Biden indicates he’s off to early vote … pic.twitter.com/bdaiuwNaBn
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) October 28, 2024
Reporters traveling with the president said roughly 100 people were waiting in line to vote when Biden arrived, and the president spent time chatting and visiting with the group.
At one point, Biden appeared to be pushing a woman in a wheelchair up the ramp into the polling center, a Department of Elections building. Another man, wearing a black suit, stopped to salute Biden after casting his ballot.
Reporters said most of the signage outside the polling center was backing the Harris-Walz campaign, but a number of Trump-Vance signs were also present.
One man waiting in line just ahead of Biden wore a red hat reading “Elect That Motherf***er Again.”
President @joebiden is waiting in line to cast his ballot. And if you’re wondering, that man’s red hat reads: “Elect that motherf***er again.” pic.twitter.com/Dh5XkEjLdX
— Nikki Schwab (@NikkiSchwab) October 28, 2024
White House officials said Biden “has known congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester’s family for decades” and campaigned alongside her father, former Wilmington City Councilman Ted Blunt.
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Blunt Rochester’s sister, Marla Blunt-Carter, also worked for Biden in both the Senate and the Obama administration. The Senate hopeful was co-chairwoman of Biden’s successful 2020 campaign when he defeated Trump.
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Biden took a parting dig at Trump for his Madison Square Garden rally Sunday night, which drew bipartisan backlash for featuring a comic who trashed Puerto Rico.
“Embarrassing, simply embarrassing,” Biden said of the Trump rally.