President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to swing states, and the White House will do a media blitz with digital influencers, Hispanic radio and other outlets this week to spread its State of the Union message far and wide — particularly to people who don’t sit down and watch the speech.
A dozen Cabinet officials will also travel coast-to-coast to address policy initiatives on clean energy, abortion access and efforts to lift places that “have historically been left behind.”
White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt said the administration believes it has a good story to tell on job creation, drug costs and other items, but it must try a variety of avenues to reach Americans.
“In a fractured communications landscape, many Americans won’t consume the State of the Union collectively in the same moment or through the same medium; therefore, we’re fanning out aggressively not only on Thursday but in the weeks ahead to reach Americans where they receive the news with the President’s message about whose side he’s on,” Mr. LaBolt said Monday.
Mr. Biden often boasts about his economic record and ability to deliver legislation that will fund infrastructure projects, invest in green energy and allow Medicare to negotiate the price of drugs for the first time.
Yet polling shows the administration has difficulty getting its message out or gaining credit for its agenda. Mr. Biden is either tied or trailing in polling on a hypothetical rematch with former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Biden, 81, has also been dogged by questions about his age and whether he does enough press conferences or public events to get his message out effectively.
The White House outlined an aggressive strategy for the days following Mr. Biden’s State of the Union Address to Congress late Thursday.
It is inviting regional radio and television stations to the White House for interviews with senior officials, allowing Hispanic radio stations to broadcast live from the White House ahead of Mr. Biden’s speech and conducting briefings with dozens of influencers and digital media publishers.
Mr. Biden plans to travel to Philadelphia and Atlanta in the days after his speech as he works to lock down votes in Pennsylvania and Georgia, and Ms. Harris will head to Nevada.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will kick off Cabinet-level travel with a trip to Colorado to highlight clean energy projects. Agency leaders will make stops around the country through March 26, when Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su heads to Michigan to speak about job creation alongside Ms. Granholm.
“This week, President Biden will make the case to continue to build the economy from the bottom up and middle out that has led to record job creation, the strongest economy in the world, increased wages and household wealth, and lower prescription drug and energy costs — instead of the MAGA Republican agenda: rewarding billionaires and corporations with tax breaks, taking away rights and freedoms, and undermining our democracy,” Mr. LaBolt said.
Republicans are likely to respond by pointing to ongoing concerns about high prices due to inflation and worries about unchecked migration across the southern U.S. border.
The border situation is emerging as a major headache for Mr. Biden, who faces a migration influx after unwinding Trump-era policies and is urging Congress to pass legislative fixes.
Sen. Katie Britt, Alabama Republican, will deliver the official GOP response to Mr. Biden’s speech on Thursday.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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