Shapiro says he is 100% behind President Biden

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DURYEA — Amid a strong push to convince President Joe Biden to leave the presidential race, Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday said he is “1oo% behind Biden” and he declined to comment on any speculation.

Shapiro was in Duryea Friday for a ceremonial bill signing of the new bipartisan budget that he signed into law last week.

Shapiro was asked to respond to a recent Democratic-funded poll that showed him as one of four Democrats who voters feel would fair better than Biden in key swing states.

The BlueLabs draft memo, first acquired by Politico, found that “nearly every tested Democrat performs better than the President” in the swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

The memo singled out four Democrats who bested Biden’s results by roughly 5 points overall across the battleground states — Shapiro, Sen. Mark Kelly (Ariz.), Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Vice President Kamala Harris also outperformed Biden in polling, but by a smaller margin than the top four, according to the memo.

The memo stated: “Voters are looking for a fresh face. Those more closely tied to the current administration perform relatively worse than other tested candidates.”

“The Hill” reported that “Biden has faced increasing calls from members of Congress to leave the presidential race over fears that he can’t defeat former President Trump in November, following a weak first debate performance. Biden has adamantly refused the calls.”

An Associated Press story Friday said President Biden appealed for party unity to take on former President Donald Trump’s “dark vision,” working to hold off pressure from Democrats at the highest levels for him to bow out of the 2024 election to make way for a new nominee and avoid widespread losses.

“President Biden is running, and I support him 100%,” Shapiro said. “Voters don’t want to go back to chaotic times when Donald Trump was president. Donald Trump wants to take away Obama Care. There are clear differences between the two candidates. The President has made his decision, and I support him.”

The Associated Press story said as more Democratic members of Congress called for Biden to drop out Friday — bringing the total since his disastrous debate against Trump to at least 30 — Biden remained isolated at his beach house in Delaware after being diagnosed with COVID-19. The president, who has insisted he can beat Trump, was huddling with family and relying on a few longtime aides as he tries to resist efforts to shove him aside.

The AP story reported that Biden said Trump’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday night showcased a “dark vision for the future.” The president, seeking to move the political conversation away from his fate and onto his rival’s agenda, said Friday he was planning to return to the campaign trail next week and insisted he has a path to victory over Trump, despite the worries of some of his party’s most eminent members, the AP story said.

“Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box,” Biden told the AP. “The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.”

Earlier in the day, AP reported that Biden’s campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillion, acknowledged “slippage” in support for the president, but insisted he’s “absolutely” remaining in the race and the campaign sees “multiple paths” to beating Trump.

Meanwhile, AP reported the Democratic National Committee’s rule-making arm held a meeting Friday, pressing ahead with plans for a virtual roll call before Aug. 7, to nominate the presidential pick, ahead of the party’s convention later in the month in Chicago.

In Duryea, Shapiro took time to remember Corey Comperatore, 50, who was gunned down on Saturday at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds.

Comperatore was shot when Thomas Crooks, 20, tried to assassinate former president Trump. Also injured were David Dutch, 57, of Plum, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon. Both wounded men are recovering at Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side. Their conditions were upgraded Wednesday from critical to serious.

Crooks was fatally shot by a Secret Service agent.

Comperatore’s wife, Helen, and two daughters, Allyson and Kaylee, wrote in social media posts on Sunday that he sacrificed his life to protect them.

“When I visited with Corey’s wife, Helen, she told me that her husband died a hero,” Shapiro said. “we can never forget the tragedy that happened in Butler.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.