President Joe Biden has lost support from Black voters. He came to Philly with an appeal for their trust

President Joe Biden came to the Philadelphia area Wednesday for the fifth time this year to lay out his case for why Black voters should support his reelection bid against former President Donald Trump, as polling has shown an erosion of Biden’s support among nonwhite voters statewide.

“Because you voted, we are investing more than ever in Black families and Black communities,” Biden said at a rally at Girard College. “It’s a promise we made and a promise we kept.”

The president chose Philly, a Democratic stronghold where the population is 43% Black, to kick off his campaign’s “Black Voters for Biden-Harris” effort and attend an event with local business owners nearby. He was joined at the rally by Vice President Kamala Harris, who touted the Biden administration’s accomplishments on issues that disproportionately affect Black voters, such as lowering the cost of insulin for diabetes patients and working to eliminate student debt.

”In 2020, Black voters in Philadelphia and across our nation helped President Biden and me win the White House. Yes, you did,” Harris said to the crowd. “And in 2024, with your voice and your power, we will win again.”

Students of the majority-Black preparatory school in Philadelphia stood in maroon and gray uniforms to watch the president speak to a crowd that included national and local Black Democratic leaders, including Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Ahead of Biden’s remarks, a drum line played and live gospel singers filled the cavernous gymnasium with sound. That kind of energy is something Biden’s campaign is hoping to capture as voter fatigue and low enthusiasm threaten his reelection chances. Even supporters on Wednesday voiced some concern.

City Councilmember Kendra Brooks said none of her adult daughters, ages 19, 23 and 33, wanted to join her to see the president Wednesday.

“None were super excited about being here,” Brooks said. “I’m certain they will get out and vote but enthusiasm is something we’re gonna have to deal with. Even with young active people who are involved people.”

One daughter, Brooks said, is a “a strong movement activist” but is “fatigued and not really hearing a message behind what’s important to her, what’s gonna happen as she gets older and navigates life. And she’s still very bitter about what’s going on in Gaza.”

It’s clear why Biden chose Philadelphia, the largest and bluest city in a pivotal swing state, to launch his effort with Black voters.

Over the years, Philadelphia wards with majority-Black populations have overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates in presidential elections, but the city’s Democratic share of the statewide vote has declined in recent years. Biden got 95% of the vote in majority-Black wards in Philadelphia in 2020, a share that is on par with other Democratic presidential candidates since 2004.

But turnout was substantially lower for Biden and Hillary Clinton than it was for Barack Obama, or even for John Kerry in 2004.

In last year’s general election, overall turnout in Philadelphia increased compared to other off-year elections, while the city’s share of the statewide Democratic vote slid down. Coupled with turnout increases in wealthier, predominantly white wards, it could mean trouble for Democrats looking to Philadelphia for help winning the presidency.

Throughout his speech, Biden credited Black voters with his victory over Trump in 2020. They played a role in his primary victory, too. U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn’s endorsement of Biden ahead of the South Carolina primary vaulted his flailing campaign to the nomination. Now he’s hoping surrogates like Clyburn and others in the room on Wednesday can help motivate the base again.

“Our campaign believes that Black voters deserve to hear from Team Biden-Harris, and they deserve to have their vote earned, not assumed,” a campaign memo said.

Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, who is coleading an initiative to get more Black men registered to vote in Philadelphia, thinks diminished Democratic turnout in Philly is driven by young people. But Thomas said he doesn’t want Black voters blamed for the party’s travails given that they have helped Democrats win elections for decades.

”Don’t put this on voters of color — you’ll have at least 40% of the white population vote for someone who literally led an insurrection,” Thomas said. “You can’t have that kind of support for a person who tried to overthrow the country, and then say, ‘It’s communities of colors’ faults.’”

Ahead of Biden’s trip, Republican Party of Pennsylvania chairman Lawrence Tabas criticized the president, calling him “hopelessly out of touch.”

Tabas and the state Republican Party have criticized Biden regarding inflation for Pennsylvania consumers. Experts say it’s inaccurate to cast rising consumer prices as a direct result of Biden’s presidency, though some of his actions — like the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package he signed in 2022 — have contributed to inflation over time.

“Joe Biden is clearly the wrong man for the job,” Tabas said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R., Pa.), a vocal Trump supporter, said he believes many Black voters who supported Biden in 2020 won’t stick by him because he has failed to deliver on his promises.

“Black voters, like a lot of voters, in 2020 said, ‘You know what? We need a change. We like what Joe Biden’s saying‚'” Meuser said. “None of [Biden’s promises] happened. We’re more divisive than ever, and nothing has been delivered to the inner-cities. The only thing that’s been delivered is high grocery prices high.”

It was clear from Biden’s remarks that he views his Republican opponent as a key tool in mobilizing the Black vote for his reelection campaign.

“It’s the same guy who wanted to tear gas you as you peacefully protested George Floyd’s murder,” Biden said. “It’s the same guy who still calls the ‘Central Park five’ guilty. ... He’s that landlord who denies housing application because of the color of your skin.”

Biden often picks Philadelphia or the region for big campaign moments. He started the year with a big speech near Valley Forge National Historic Park and delivered an address focused on Civil Rights from the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center in April.

Girard College serves about 300 students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in first through 12th grades. Biden has visited the college before, including in 2012 while serving as vice president, when he spoke for the Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service.

Protesters involved with the Abandon Biden campaign gathered outside of Girard College, calling the president and vice president “Genocide Joe” and “Killer Kamala” and chanting “Free Palestine.”

“Biden turned his back on the value of life,” the group’s executive director, Hassan Abdel Salam, said in a statement. “The only question is whether you are on the side of life.”

Zion Bennett, 18, a Girard College senior, said he was excited for “the shock and surprise” of seeing the president speak. Bennett finds some of Trump’s views and past comments objectionable and plans to vote for Biden.

”I’ve heard about things Trump has said and seen things Trump has done, and I prefer Biden over Trump, just personally,” he said.

Following the rally, Biden met with a few dozen supporters and Black small business owners at SOUTH Restaurant on North Broad Street.

The president summed his visit up saying, “I came to say, ‘Thank you. And I ain’t going anywhere.’”

He touted his administration’s $1.3 trillion infrastructure bill and help rebuilding I-95 after a portion of it collapsed and the response to a bridge collapse in Baltimore. In off-script remarks, Biden called the economy “the strongest in the world,” despite polling that shows most Americans are concerned about inflation.

”What we have to do,” Biden said, “is make sure the economy benefits everyone across the board, make sure everyone has a shot.”

Staff writers John Duchneskie, Rob Tornoe, Aliya Schneider, and Emily Bloch contributed to this article.