Biden to host first campaign rally in Philadelphia

President Biden next week will hold his first political rally since announcing his 2024 reelection campaign nearly two months ago, his campaign announced Friday.

The event will take place June 17 in Philadelphia with union members, the campaign said. Specific logistics for the event were not released.

Holding his first campaign rally with union members underscores Mr. Biden’s cozy relationship with labor. It will mark his third visit to Philadelphia this year as well as his fifth to Pennsylvania, which is expected to be a key battleground state in 2024.

During his 2020 campaign, Mr. Biden kept a low profile as the COVID-19 pandemic limited social activities and large gatherings. He mostly limited his campaign to virtual events from the basement of his Delaware home, saying he did not want to spread the disease or risk catching the virus himself.

All the while, President Donald Trump spoke at large rallies.

This time around, the COVID-19 pandemic is in the rearview mirror and the Democratic convention in Chicago will be an in-person event. That means Mr. Biden will likely have to make his case directly to the public instead of online.

Since announcing his reelection plans in April, Mr. Biden has attended fundraisers and traveled the country in his official capacity as president, touting his legislative wins.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre last month dodged questions about when Mr. Biden would hold the first rally for his reelection bid.

When pressed about Mr. Biden’s aversion to campaign events, Ms. Jean-Pierre declined to discuss the matter. Instead, she invoked the Hatch Act, a federal law passed in 1939 that bars White House and other executive branch employees from engaging in political activity while on the job.

“We follow the rule of law here. We believe in following the rule of law as it relates to anything that is connected to the campaign — any rallies, any events, any endorsement — anything that is connected to the 2024 reelection … is certainly not going to come from here,” she said. “It is going to come from his campaign and/or the DNC.”