PC: NBC News

President Joe Biden has intermittently celebrated Labor Day in Pittsburgh for more than ten years, twice utilising the city’s procession as a proving ground as he thought about running for office.

Other elections were in the spotlight when he arrived back in the city on Monday, notably Pennsylvania’s increasingly contentious Senate battle. But as he begins his most rigorous in-person campaigning since before the Covid-19 pandemic, Biden’s own political power will be put to the test over the coming weeks.

On Monday, Biden praised his economic record at meetings attended by union supporters in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. But he also retaliated against “radical” Republicans he dubbed “Trumpies” in an effort to make the approaching vote a contest between him and the chaos fostered by the late president Donald Trump rather than merely a vote on his own record.
When speaking about his predecessor in Pittsburgh, Biden referred to him as “the former, defeated, President.”
He declared, “It’s obvious which way he wants to look.” “The new MAGA Republicans have made their positions quite apparent. They go to extremes.”

Later, he continued, “Trump and the MAGA Republicans made their choice. “We can make our own: We may decide to either stay on this downward path or to construct a better America.”

Later, he continued, “Trump and the MAGA Republicans made their choice. “We can make our own: We may decide to either stay on this downward path or to construct a better America.”
Biden earlier attempted to draw a distinction between conventional Republicans and those who have backed Trump in Wisconsin.

“To start out, I want to be absolutely clear. Not all Republicans identify as “MAGA Republicans.” Republicans don’t all subscribe to that radical philosophy. I am aware of this because I have spent my entire career working with mainstream Republicans “At Milwaukee’s Laborfest, Biden addressed a gathering of union supporters.

However, he added, “the hardline MAGA Republicans in Congress have decided to go backwards, full of fury, violence, hate, and division. “However, working together, we can and must select a different course: forward.”
Democratic candidates in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are hoping to unseat two Republican-held senatorial seats, and their success or failure will be closely watched as a crucial barometer of the party’s and Biden’s political clout in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.
The 79-year-old President’s dismal support ratings and a spate of losses during the summer sparked worry about Biden’s own political future. Even while he maintains he intends to run again, Biden’s intentions are still up for debate.

Biden travelled to Pittsburgh in 2015 and 2018 as he thought about running for president in the past. When he marched in the city parade during those years, he was greeted by jubilant cries of “run, Joe, run.”
Biden decided from attending the parade on Monday in favour of a union picnic with United Steelworkers members. Before starting his address, he spent some time mingling with the audience, playing beanbag throw with children and taking pictures.

Before addressing the crowd, Biden had a private meeting with Democratic US Senate candidate Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who had been sidelined from the race earlier this year due to a stroke.

The question of whether Biden would be welcomed by Democrats or shunned by candidates trying to distance themselves from a historically unpopular president lingered for much of the summer.
Ohio’s Democratic Senate contender, Rep. Tim Ryan, declined to attend when Biden made a trip to Cleveland in July to give a speech on the economy. Instead, he decided to run for office in another region of the state.
Other Democratic contenders stayed silent when asked directly if they wanted Biden to join them for the autumn campaign trial.

“Anybody is invited to visit Arizona and explore the state at any time. If I’m not in Washington for a meeting while I’m here and I’m not talking about what Arizona needs, “Sen. Mark Kelly, a re-election candidate in Arizona, stated on CNN without directly inviting Biden to attend.
Some Democratic candidates were eager to appear with Biden on Monday. He made an appearance in Milwaukee alongside incumbent Democratic governor Tony Evers, who is seeking reelection against Trump-backed Republican Tim Michels. While the President spoke out in favour of Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the Democratic candidate for the Senate, Biden did not attend.

Josh Shapiro, the attorney general candidate for governor on the Democratic party, was present with Biden when he spoke last week in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. And almost immediately after the White House announced Biden’s visit to Pittsburgh, Fetterman’s office confirmed that he would be meeting with the President.
According to a readout given to CNN by Fetterman spokesperson Joe Calvello, during their brief discussion on Monday, Fetterman urged Biden to “exercise his executive authority to begin the process of rescheduling marijuana.”
They also highlighted the urgent need to “produce more products in America,” develop and grow labour unions, and give American workers greater influence directly, according to Calvello.

Fetterman lifted his arms and pounded his fists as the two men left the union hall together. However, when Fetterman spoke before Biden, he took the chance to criticise his Republican rival, Dr. Mehmet Oz, for having many residences and making crudités without bringing up the President.
A spate of policy victories for Biden and his party have coincided with the unofficial start of the midterm election campaign season, alleviating some of the Democratic strain on the President’s political savvy and leadership.
Biden wants to leverage his recent successes to help Democrats and stave off what was previously thought to be an unavoidable election defeat. He also believes that reminding people of the chaos surrounding Trump will help Democrats in the upcoming election.

In Wisconsin, Biden criticised Republican incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson, a close Trump ally, for downplaying the violence that took place at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, where Trump’s supporters attempted to sabotage the electoral vote tally.
Biden remarked, “Sen. Johnson stated it was largely a nonviolent protest. Have you watched the videos from that day’s events?
Later, in a speech in Pennsylvania, Biden questioned the patriotism of Republicans who had questioned the 2020 election results and supported Donald Trump.
When you “either win, or you have been cheated,” he continued, “you can’t say you love the country.” That is where we are at the moment.

In the months leading up to the November election, the President would travel two or three times every week, according to Biden’s advisors. Since he was a candidate in the Democratic primary in early 2020, Biden has not actively campaigned in person for president since the epidemic hindered his campaign.
Biden has shown an eager enthusiasm for the campaign trail at gatherings with a campaign-style atmosphere over the previous two weeks. He attacked Republicans during a furious rally in Maryland for obstructing his plan, which he described as transformative for middle class Americans.
In a later speech at a government event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Vice President Biden demanded stricter gun control measures, including a ban on assault weapons, and he charged Republicans as being loyal to the gun lobby.

In addition, speaking at Independence Hall in Philadelphia last week in what was an official White House event despite the political message, Biden issued a dire warning about “MAGA Republicans” seeking to undermine American democracy. Biden had been considering giving this speech for months as he grew more worried about Trump’s hold on the GOP.
The events of Monday indicated a return for Biden to a more constant theme: the significance of organised labour in fostering the middle class and enhancing worker safeguards. Biden’s backing from significant unions has fueled his numerous electoral campaigns, and he is constantly striving to reward that support.

Biden’s team outlined their dual-track midterm approach in memos and strategy documents created during the month of August: portraying Republicans as extremists and showcasing his own list of accomplishments.
His visit to Pittsburgh marked his 16th swing in the Keystone State since assuming office and his third trip to the commonwealth in a week.
Trump attempted to support his backed candidates at his own rally in Wilkes-Barre over the weekend, but he spent the majority of his speech criticising Biden and the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate.
In his speech, delivered close to Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Trump referred to Biden as a “enemy of the state.”

Vice President Kamala Harris contrasted with what the White House refers to as “extreme” Republicans while reiterating Biden’s message in Boston.
“Workers battle every day to advance our nation. However, we must acknowledge that some members of Congress are working to set us back. Extremist, so-called leaders are battling to turn the clock back in Congress and statehouses across our country “She made her statement at the annual brunch of the Greater Boston Labor Council.
“Let’s not allow radical so-called leaders to go backwards in time. We understand what is at stake, what we stand for, that when we fight, we win, and that all we are doing is worthwhile “She spoke.