President Joe Biden and his administration are shifting gears this week, capitalizing on the recent upswing in consumer sentiment. The aim is to boost public perception of the president’s economic management as he prepares for a potential face-off with former President Donald Trump.
This strategic push will be showcased on Thursday with two events in the Midwest. The first is a visit to Superior, Wisconsin, where Biden will announce $1 billion in federal funding to replace an aging bridge in the crucial swing state. Concurrently, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is scheduled to deliver a significant speech in Chicago, advocating for Biden’s economic vision and offering a rare rebuttal to his predecessor’s approach.
Despite the administration’s efforts to promote the economy, less than a third of voters currently approve of Biden’s approach. However, the administration remains hopeful that this will change, particularly as people start to feel more optimistic about the economic situation. The University of Michigan’s latest consumer survey indicates a significant improvement in sentiment this month, reaching its highest level since July 2021.
“As we approach November, voters will increasingly hear our economic narrative through our field organizers, advertising, and more,” said Lauren Hitt, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign. “Many Americans are already starting to hear it. This week, the gold-standard for measuring consumer attitudes found that Americans are more confident about the economy than they’ve been in years.”
The Biden team is also leveraging Trump’s recent comments predicting an economic crash under Biden’s watch. They are drawing comparisons between Trump’s job record and that of Herbert Hoover, who was president during the onset of the Great Depression.
However, it remains uncertain whether the campaign’s economic message will resonate with voters, especially as Trump prepares to present his own economic case against Biden in the run-up to November.
On Thursday, Biden will visit the Blatnik Bridge, a key transit point connecting Wisconsin and Minnesota. The president will announce $1 billion in funding for bridge repairs and an additional $4 billion for other infrastructure projects nationwide.
Yellen’s speech at the Economic Club in Chicago will echo Biden’s message, promoting the president’s economic achievements while acknowledging the need to address affordability challenges facing middle-class families.
Despite the challenges, the Biden team remains optimistic, believing that their messaging will gradually resonate with Americans as they recover from the pandemic’s aftermath.
“This campaign is a journey to a destination that is the moment the polls close,” said Ben Wikler, the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. “As we hit record highs in the stock market and wages for working-class voters go up and inflation comes down faster than any other developed country, that adds together to exactly the economic picture that you want by Election Day.”
The Biden campaign is already planning frequent visits to key battleground states this year. Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off her reproductive freedoms tour in Waukesha County this week, and Yellen is scheduled to appear in Milwaukee on Friday.
“This is game on in Wisconsin,” Wikler said.