Jill Biden is launching President Joe Biden's outreach to veterans and military families during a campaign swing through battleground states, drawing contrasts with her husband's Republican rival as the Biden team works to shift the conversation away from growing calls for the Democratic incumbent to drop his reelection bid after a damaging debate performance against Donald Trump.
The first lady was to announce the formation of Veterans and Military Families for Biden-Harris during stops Monday in Wilmington, North Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and Columbus, Georgia. The states have large populations of veterans and military families.
Her daylong tour is part of the Biden campaign's broader effort to rebound from the president's halting performance against Trump in last month's debate, which led a handful of House Democrats and others to call on Biden to end his campaign because they no longer believe the 81-year-old president is mentally and physically capable of defeating Trump in November's election.
Biden has insisted, during public appearances since the June 27 debate, that he is staying in the race.
His campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, said the new group will work to engage and mobilize millions of veterans and military families in the U.S. to vote to reelect the president.
«Our veterans and military families are the brave and the bold, who step forward for all of us,» she said. «They deserve a commander in chief who respects their bravery and understands personally their sacrifice, not one who