Joe Biden brings his embattled presidential campaign to Wisconsin Democratic stronghold

MADISON – As Joe Biden contemplates his political future, facing calls from within his own party to abandon a reelection bid, the 81-year-old Democratic president is making a critical stop in this battleground state Friday in a show of commitment to see his campaign through.

Biden will visit Wisconsin's voting powerhouse of Madison, holding a rally at a city middle school and taping a primetime interview with ABC organized to help overturn public fears of a lagging mental acuity.

The stop, perhaps the most important for Biden this campaign cycle, comes as the president continues to deflect concerns from Democratic donors and his political colleagues over the president's ability to defeat Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and to carry out the duties of president for the next four years following a stunning debate performance during which Biden lost his train of thought and at times made nonsensical statements.

Democratic governors who met with Biden on Wednesday in a meeting to assess the president said they would stand by the president, including Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers who was the only governor to not participate in the meeting. But on Thursday, the New York Times reported major Democratic donors are launching a pressure campaign to get Biden to step aside.

Biden's campaign, however, is portraying a unified team that is ignoring efforts to replace the candidate. In a memo from Wisconsin campaign officials released to reporters, it was revealed key state surrogates would be on hand.

"President Biden is visiting Madison for his fifth trip to Wisconsin this year, where he will underscore the stakes of this election as Donald Trump grows increasingly extreme and unhinged," the memo said.

"Over the past few weeks, Wisconsin leaders have continued to show strong support for President Biden, and several will join him in Madison, including Governor Tony Evers, Congressman Mark Pocan, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, and Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler."

Evers especially is a key ally for Biden, recently scoring a 51% job approval rating from Wisconsin voters in a Marquette University Law School poll − nearly unheard of in a state that is evenly split politically.

Absent, however, is the state's top Democrat: U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin. Baldwin has avoided appearing with Biden in the president's recent visits and had already scheduled a campaign stop in northern Wisconsin for Friday.

The last time Baldwin appeared with Biden was at the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. in March, when she was among a group of lawmakers who walked the president into the House chamber.

Biden will likely face at least some protesters. A coalition of pro-Palestine groups plan to be on the ground at the northside middle school to protest Biden’s visit, according to an Instagram post from the Madison chapter of students for Justice in Palestine, Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine and Listen to Wisconsin. The group will convene at an intersection in front of the school.“If you’ve wished that we could have a different candidate, this is your chance to voice that concern,” the post read.

Ahead of the Madison visit, Wisconsin GOP Chairman Brian Schimming said the Biden campaign has gone from one “confidence to calamity to crisis” over the past 10 days, citing Biden’s debate performance and the Democratic scramble since to shore up support for the president.

“The Democratic Party, nationally and in Wisconsin, is in disarray right now.”

Schimming said Biden’s visit to one of the state’s biggest Democratic strongholds isn’t an effort to expand his support, but rather an effort to “rescue his campaign.” He hinted at calls from Democrats to replace Biden at the top of the ticket.

“As this is playing out right now, this may be Joe Biden’s last appearance in Madison and in Wisconsin as a candidate, even, with the mess that they have going on in the campaign and the Democratic Party right now.”

Lawrence Andrea and Rachel Hale of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Joe Biden brings his embattled presidential campaign to Wisconsin Democratic stronghold