On Sunday, President Joe Biden addressed an ongoing speech to black communities at Morehouse College in Atlanta. The purpose of this speech was to try to restore his credibility among black voters.
Biden’s appearance at Morehouse comes amid polling that indicates declining enthusiasm among Black voters, particularly younger ones. An NBC News average of national polls since April 1 shows Biden’s support among Black voters is 7 percentage points lower than it was in 2020, while former President Donald Trump’s support has increased by 9 percentage points.
Biden’s approval among younger voters has been impacted by the tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has sparked significant protests on college campuses.
The speech, which lasted about half an hour, was mostly uninterrupted by protests, although some students and faculty members expressed solidarity with Gaza during the ceremony. Biden’s speech received almost no positive response from the audience.
Biden’s address at Morehouse is part of a broader strategy to reconnect with the Black voter coalition that helped secure his presidency in 2020.
In addition to the Morehouse speech, Biden held a campaign event with Georgia voters on Saturday and planned to meet with small-business owners in Detroit later on Sunday. He was also scheduled to deliver remarks to the NAACP.
The administration is making concerted efforts to demonstrate Biden’s effectiveness for Black communities. Vice President Kamala Harris has spent time engaging with Black voters, most recently through her “Economic Opportunity Tour,” highlighting the administration’s efforts to reduce costs and promote economic freedom for underserved groups.
Nevertheless, polls show that fewer Americans, including blacks, trust Biden. Despite Biden’s desperate attempts to raise his rapidly declining reputation, his rating continues to fall.
