The White House has added more jobs to its planning and advancement team, a sign that President Biden is poised to build a robust travel program in the coming months as he prepares for a battle bitter re-election campaign against former President Trump.
Sources familiar with internal White House dynamics told The Hill that additional job openings are available, creating a larger advance team for the White House than in previous years.
The White House is directing its limited staff, particularly popular during elections, to the forward office, signaling travel as a priority.
“It’s a sign that all systems are working,” said a source familiar with the thinking of Biden and his team. “They’re preparing for what’s ahead, and there’s going to be a lot of travel, a lot of messaging events in the near future.”
A White House official confirmed that several positions would be added to the team, but did not provide an exact number. But the official said that was just a small percentage of the overall White House team.
Openings in the planning and advance department — the team that plans, designs and creates events before the president makes a public appearance — signal a significant shift from the nature of the presidential contest between Biden and Trump in 2020.
In this battle, which took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, before there were vaccines against the disease, Biden was seen as campaigning largely from his basement. home in Wilmington, Del.
It was a reality that was initially seen as a limitation for Biden, but ended up being a strength in putting more public focus on Trump — creating a referendum on his handling of the country.
In 2024, Trump is seeking to make the election a referendum on Biden, and the travel office’s moves indicate his team realizes it will need to be on track to win the president’s re-election.
“As you saw when the president broadcast his State of the Union vision across the country – talking about a middle-class economy and protecting our fundamental freedoms like choice – Joe Biden thrives on getting out of Washington and listening directly to the American people. ” said White House spokesman Andrew Bates. “He looks forward to learning more.”
A source familiar with the planning said the Biden campaign is also expanding its forward operations, along with the White House doing the same.
As the general election begins, Biden has already begun adopting a rigorous travel schedule. Last week, he visited Nevada and Arizona, two important states in his re-election bid. He then finished his trip in Texas, where he held fundraisers in Houston and Dallas.
This week, Biden – accompanied by Vice President Harris – will travel to North Carolina, another state the Biden campaign is trying to put in its column. Later this week, he will travel to New York for a major fundraiser alongside former Presidents Obama and Clinton at Radio City Music Hall.
The additions to the forward office will be for domestic travel, with Biden’s foreign travel before November expected to be limited. To date, the only trip planned will be to the G7 summit, which will take place in Italy in June.
The investment in the advanced team follows unrest in the department.
Earlier this month, Politico reported that the White House counsel’s office had opened an investigation into a White House aide accused by colleagues of verbal harassment.
The investigation resulted in the resignation of Ian Mellul, who was associate director of the presidential advance. Brie Moore, who was director of press advancement, also resigned recently after facing criticism from members of the press regarding her poor behavior towards them.
But the increase in advance team jobs is seen as a plus for Biden, who is trailing in polls in key states and whose presidential approval rating is underwater.
A CNN approval rating released last week showed that only 37% of respondents approved of Biden’s performance.
To win, Biden will need to take his message to voters in states like Michigan and Wisconsin and lay out what he has accomplished and what lies ahead.
“He needs to be more present, speaking directly to people during message events,” the first source said. “That’s why we need more people on the ground firing on all cylinders.”
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