New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy went out of his way to thank besieged President Biden on Monday as he unveiled funding for a critical tunnel project into New York City.
Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, may not be well-known nationally, but he is a two-term governor who, from time to time, has been floated as a possible alternative to Mr. Biden, should the incumbent step aside.
The governor gave Mr. Biden kudos after saying it would be foolish to try and name the hundreds of people involved in the Gateway Tunnel project that will improve commutes between the Garden State and Manhattan. The administration recently approved a $6.8 billion grant for the long-delayed project.
“I do want to single out Joe Biden and his administration,” Mr. Murphy said. “It really matters to have a guy who understands the rails at the top of the totem pole in this country.”
“I dealt with the last administration with this project, and I dealt with the current administration … and it’s literally night and day,” Mr. Murphy said.
Mr. Biden is facing mounting calls to drop his candidacy after a disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Murphy, like other prominent Democratic governors, has publicly backed Mr. Biden. He hosted a fundraiser for Mr. Biden, 81, days after the debate.
During the fundraiser in Red Bank, New Jersey, Mr. Biden acknowledged his poor performance but said, “I’m going to be fighting harder.”
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, New York Democrat, also attended the Gateway event on Monday. He thanked the Biden administration and top members of his Cabinet, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, for their support.
However, Mr. Nadler was among several House Democrats who used a Sunday call with Democratic leadership to say Mr. Biden should reconsider his candidacy.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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