Kamala Harris is speaking in Philadelphia on Saturday. Here’s what to know.
This will be the vice president's sixth trip to Pennsylvania this year, and her 16th since being sworn in January 2021.
Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a speech in Philadelphia Saturday amid growing calls for President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
It’s Harris’ fourth trip to Philadelphia region in just the last couple of months. On May 8, she joined Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph in Montgomery County to highlight reproductive rights, and on May 21 she delivered the keynote address at the 2024 Service Employees International Union’s international convention. On May 29, Harris joined Biden during a rally at Girard College, the historic boarding school in Fairmount, aimed at shoring up support with Black voters.
Saturday’s visit has taken on added significance following Biden’s disastrous performance during a debate against former President Donald Trump last month. Since then, there have been increased calls from Democrats for Biden to end his campaign, potentially paving the way for Harris to take on Trump in the fall.
Biden’s campaign is “quietly testing the strength” of Harris against Trump in a head-to-head survey of voters, the New York Times reported. During a news conference Thursday night, Biden vowed to remain in the race, but said he would consider dropping out if his staff had data that showed he couldn’t defeat Trump.
Where in Philadelphia is Kamala Harris speaking?
Harris is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Presidential Town Hall at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown on 17th Street. She is slated to speak at 3:45 p.m, and will not take questions from reporters during the event.
Her speech is being hosted by the nonprofit group Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, whose goal is to increase voter turnout among the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Harris, whose mother was born in India, is the country’s first Asian American vice president.
It will be her sixth visit to Pennsylvania this year and 16th since taking office, according to the campaign.
Will there be any road closures on I-95 or elsewhere?
There will likely be rolling closures on both I-95 and I-676 as the vice president makes her way to and from the airport to Center City.
Delays and closures are expected in the immediate vicinity surrounding the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Saturday, but no specific road closures have been announced by police.
Will there be a livestream of Kamala Harris’ Philly speech?
Yes, you can stream the vice president’s speech at the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Presidential Town Hall here:
Donald Trump and Jill Biden will also be in Pennsylvania Saturday
Donald Trump will be holding a rally in Western Pennsylvania Saturday. The event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at the Butler Farm Show.
It is Trump’s fifth visit to Pennsylvania this year, and it will be his last event before the Republican National Convention begins in Milwaukee, leading to speculation he could announce his vice presidential pick. Former Vice President Mike Pence, Trump’s running mate during the 2016 and 2020 elections, isn’t supporting the former president and refused to go along with a plan to overturn the 2020 election results.
At the same time, first lady Jill Biden will also be in Western Pennsylvania, where she is scheduled to attend an Italian Sons and Daughters of America dinner in Pittsburgh.
The first lady is facing renewed scrutiny as she defends her husband amid worries about age and his impact on the 2024 election. She was featured on the cover of Vogue following last month’s debate, where she said the campaign “will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he’s been president.”