As Biden reaches out to African American voters, demonstrators call for a ceasefire in Gaza

In an emotional campaign speech on Monday at the scene of a racist killing in 2015, US President Joe Biden sought out to Black voters; but, hecklers demanding a ceasefire in Gaza brought attention to another issue facing the Democrat.

In his speech at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where nine Black parishioners were murdered by a racially motivated assassin, Biden declared that the “poison” of white supremacy had “no place in America”.

The 81-year-old then compared the Republican candidate Donald Trump’s attempts to void the results of the most recent election in 2020 to the larger history of racism in the United States, referring to it as the “old ghost in new garments.”

From the pulpit of the ancient church, Biden addressed the audience, saying, “They’re trying to erase history and your future, banning books, denying your right to vote and have it counted.”

Later, according to the White House, Biden spoke with shooting survivors, extending his longstanding relationship with the church that began when he went there as Barack Obama’s vice president following the deaths.

Dylann Roof, a self-described white supremacist who was 21 at the time, claimed he carried out the massacre to incite racial conflict. In 2017, he received a death sentence.

Biden launched his 2024 campaign with two speeches, the second of which was directed at Trump, with whom he is anticipated to square off in a hotly contested rematch in November.

Concerns about the poll

A protester, however, cut off Biden’s statement a few minutes into it, stating that the president ought to demand an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas if he was concerned about the lives lost.

Then a few demonstrators started yelling “ceasefire now,” but churchgoers’ chants of “four more years” in favor of Biden’s second-term candidacy soon overpowered them.

After expressing his ability to “understand their passion,” Biden stated of the demonstrators, “I’ve been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza.”

The speech and the interruption illustrated the wide range of voters that Biden will need to win over in what looks to be a challenging reelection campaign.

According to polls, Biden’s support is declining among Black and ethnic minority voters, who were essential in his victory over Trump in the 2020 election.

Democrats have also opposed Biden because of his unwavering backing of Israel’s onslaught against Hamas in the wake of the Palestinian organization’s October 7 strikes.

Additionally, Biden needs the backing of both parties since, according to a number of recent surveys, he is either lagging or tied with Trump in terms of popularity, and his approval ratings are the lowest of any contemporary president at this point in their tenure.

“Huge stakes”

In an attempt to resonate with voters, Biden’s passionate address on Monday touched on a number of sensitive subjects, including his support for civil rights, his Catholic religion, and the church’s assistance following the death of his oldest son Beau from brain illness at the age of 46 in the month prior to the tragedy.

The state of South Carolina was also chosen symbolically, as it was there that he emerged victorious in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, igniting his waning campaign.

According to the Biden campaign, his comments in Charleston highlighted the “enormous stakes of this election.”

Congressman Jim Clyburn, a co-chair of the Biden campaign, stated, “We’re all proud to welcome President Biden to the church to remind the nation of what happened and that it is on all of us to fight back against this extremism.”

He stated that the church has “witnessed the horrors of hate-fueled political violence” as well as “shown us the path forward after moments of division and despair.”

As the election year approaches, Biden has his sights set firmly on Trump, presenting himself as a uniter and guardian of democracy while his rival is seen as a danger to American institutions.

Additionally, he has shifted his emphasis from discussing the economy, since many US voters don’t seem to be persuaded by positive employment and growth statistics while food and housing costs are still unacceptably high.

However, indications of more Democratic worries surfaced over the weekend when US media reported that former President Barack Obama had questioned Biden on the campaign’s structure.