President Joe Biden has voted early in the presidential election months after he dramatically dropped out and Kamala Harris replaced him on the Democratic ticket.
The 81-year-old president joined the almost 50 million Americans who have already cast their ballots in what could be one of the closest races in history.
The polls are deadlocked with just eight days left of the campaign with former President Donald Trump and Harris focusing on the seven swing states that will likely decide the winner.
Biden also took a swipe at Elon Musk for handing out $1million checks to registered voters as he left.
‘Tell him I’m registered,’ the president quipped as he proudly showed off his ‘I voted’ sticker to the press.
However, ahead of him in the polling station in New Castle was a voter in a MAGA hat with the message ‘elect that motherf***er’ again.
The commander-in-chief looked like an any ordinary citizen as he stood on line with agents from his Secret Service detail and greeted a woman in a wheelchair, pushing her into the polling place.
When he went to cast his ballot, he showed his driver’s license to staff, unprompted.
Afterward, he told reporters ‘it’s just sweet’ when asked if the day was bittersweet for him, no longer being the Democratic nominee.
The president participated in early voting on this date four years ago, casting a ballot for himself at the top of the ticket and Harris as his No. 2.
Four years later, he’s now casting a vote for Harris.
Biden called Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally Sunday night ’embarrassing, just simply embarrassing,’ after a comic made a racist crack about Puerto Rico and Tucker Carlson said of Harris that she’s the first ‘Samoan Malaysian low I.Q. former California prosecutor ever to be elected president.’
‘It’s beneath any president, but that’s what we’re getting used to,’ Biden added. ‘That’s why this election’s so important.’
Biden repeated the point he’s made in recent days – that presidential scholars believe ‘character’ is key.
‘He puts that in question every time he opens his mouth,’ the president said.
Biden started off his day by having breakfast at The Legend Restaurant & Bakery in New Castle, Delaware alongside Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who’s vying for Delaware’s open Senate seat.
Not much polling has been done as the race isn’t expected to be competitive, but a September survey had Blunt Rochester 20 points ahead.
Since Biden dropped out of the race – due to a disastrous debate performance – he’s been seldomly seen alongside Democrats in competitive races.
‘Well I’ve done a lot of surrogate stuff,’ he answered, when asked if he wished to be utilized by more candidates. ‘And the fact of the matter is that I’ve also had to be president at the same time.’
‘I’ve been to all battleground states, I’ve been campaigning, but I also have to continue my job as vice president,’ he added.
He did campaign in Pittsburgh Saturday, addressing a smaller crowd of LiUNA union workers, asking them to help Harris get across the line.
Biden also brought pizza to phone-banking volunteers at another union headquarters.
He appeared with Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman – who is not up for reelection – and who has lost the support of the progressive community over his support of Israel amid the war in Gaza.
Sen. Bob Casey, whose race against Republican David McCormick is tightening, was not on hand.
This week Biden will travel to Baltimore on official business to talk about infrastructure. He’s also set to return to the swing state of Pennsylvania Friday, heading to Philadelphia.
The fact that the sitting president isn’t being utilized more heavily on the campaign trail with eight days to go speaks volumes about the challenges Harris faces – as she seeks to represent change, but is currently in office.
There are currently no planned events where Biden and Harris will appear together before Election Day.
Biden isn’t even expected to attend Harris’ speech Tuesday night on the Ellipse, despite the fact that it’s literally in the president’s backyard.
Axios reported Monday that this is by design, as Biden’s team has held dates open for the president to stump for Harris, and those days have passed by without an invitation.
Harris’ team keeps responding that they’ll get back to the president’s people – as they’re reluctant to candidly say they believe Biden is a political liability.
One Axios source likened it to a slow-moving break-up.
However, many people on Biden’s team – including some working on the Delaware-based campaign that Harris inherited – believe that thinking is a mistake, as the president could still shore up support for Harris among white working class men, a demographic that has run with open arms toward the MAGA movement.
It’s reminiscent of Vice President Al Gore keeping President Bill Clinton at arm’s length after the Monica Lewinsky affair during his unsuccessful White House run in the year 2000.
In hindsight, the Clinton snub potentially cost him the race, as Gore won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College to Republican George W. Bush.
A key difference – Clinton had a 57 percent approval rating and 38 percent disapproval rating at this time during his presidency.
Biden’s current approval rating stands at 39 percent.
Asked by DailyMail.com if he would be campaigning alongside Harris this week, Biden replied, ‘I’ve been on the trail.’
‘We talk all the time. And they’re asking me where they think I should be to help them the most. I’m going to be in Pennsylvania. I’m going to head to Scranton and a few other places,’ the president said.
