WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden launches President Joe Biden ‘s outreach to veterans and military families while campaigning through states where the election is at stake, drawing contrasts with her husband’s Republican rival as the Biden team is working to shift the conversation away from growing calls for the incumbent Democrat to drop his re-election bid after a damaging debate performance against Donald Trump.
The first lady is expected to announce the creation of Veterans and Military Families for Biden-Harris during stops Monday in Wilmington, North Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and Columbus, Georgia. The states have large populations of veterans and military families.
Her daylong tour is part of the Biden campaign’s broader effort to recover from the president’s poor showing against Trump in last month’s debate, which led a handful of House Democrats and others to call on Biden to end his campaign. They no longer believe the 81-year-old president is mentally and physically capable of defeating Trump in November’s election.
Biden has insisted in public appearances since the June 27 debate that he stays in the race.
His campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, said the new group aims to mobilize millions of veterans and military families across the U.S. to vote for the president’s re-election.
“Our veterans and military families are the brave and the bold who step forward for all of us,” she said. “They deserve a commander in chief who respects their courage and personally understands their sacrifice, not one who disparages them because they are willing to risk their lives for our democracy.”
Rodriguez was referring to reports that Trump, during a 2018 trip to France, described service members who made the ultimate sacrifice as “suckers” and “losers.” Trump denies making the comments.
Biden’s deceased son Nice served in Iraq as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard, and the first lady’s father was a Navy signalman during World War II.
Biden and Trump sparred during the debate over who cares most about veterans. Biden noted that he recently visited an American military cemetery in Francethe final resting place for American soldiers who fought in World War I, a place Trump conspicuously skipped in 2018.
Trump claimed during the debate that the Democratic president is coddling migrants while ignoring the needs of veterans and service members, and criticized Biden for the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Biden’s campaign noted that the president expanded benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances, developed a strategy to reduce veteran suicide, increase support for caregivers, and commit more than $1 billion by 2023 to support homeless veterans.
Jill Biden is separately leading a White House initiative called To combine forceswho works on helping military spouses get and keep a job with the federal governmentmaking child care more affordable and accessible for military families and supporting those who care for veterans.