President Joe Biden cheered on Democrats at a “Restore Roe” rally in northern Virginia on Tuesday, hoping to capitalize on the issue that has kept Democrats competitive – but was repeatedly interrupted by anti-Israel protesters.
Biden planned an in-camera event in which he and other speakers took direct and repeated digs at Donald Trump as the New Hampshire primary contested the Republican nomination for president.
One by one, protesters interrupted, forcing the president to pause his remarks as security forces removed them from the venue, which was decorated with pro-choice signs and spotlights.
“This is going to go on for a while.” “They planned this,” Biden said frustrated after the seventh such interruption.
He was supported by the crowd, who chanted “Four more years!” and “Let’s go, Joe!” after the interruptions that repeatedly accused him of “genocide.”
“Please don’t jump!” Biden joked after the tenth interruption as a woman held a sign over Gaza amid Israel’s war against Hamas.
Protesters repeatedly interrupted President Joe Biden as he held a reproductive rights rally in Virginia
“There is another person who has no idea about the power of women in America, that is Donald Trump,” Biden said in one of the lines he managed to get out without being interrupted.
Another protester complained about “not feeding babies formula,” calling it a war crime. He was referring to the fighting in Gaza after the Israeli invasion following the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7th.
'Keep going!' A member of the crowd encouraged the president.
It was a demonstration of the difficulties Biden faces as he tries to unite his party's base amid a growing challenge from Trump. Polls have shown that support among younger voters is declining and approval of his handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is low.
The event was carefully planned by an advance team and timed just as the national media was focused on Trump's face-off with Nikki Haley in New Hampshire.
A total of five speakers read from a teleprompter, with Biden making sharp remarks about Trump, whom he defeated in 2020.
The interruptions came during an event where Biden and speakers blasted Donald Trump
“Across our country, women are suffering,” said Vice President Kamala Harris.
The disruptions occurred during a crowded rally with a giant digital sign
Vice President Kamala Harris kisses her second Mr. Doug Emhoff before President Joe Biden appears at an event on the campus of George Mason University in Manassas, Virginia.
Protesters repeatedly accused Biden of “genocide” for supporting Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza
“There is another person who has no idea about the power of women in America, that is Donald Trump,” he said, referring to his predecessor, who was able to confirm three conservative justices before the conservative court voted 6-3 against Roe went ahead.
“Donald Trump is betting that you won’t vote on this issue.” But guess what? “He’s betting that we won’t hold him accountable either,” Biden said.
“He bets you won’t care. That you get distracted and discouraged and that you stay at home.'
'Guess what? “I bet he’s wrong,” Biden said.
Activist group Code Pink took credit for organizing the protests, but was unable to verify the claim as of Tuesday evening.
Biden wasn't even on the ballot in New Hampshire's primary caucus after messing up the party calendar to make South Carolina the first caucus approved by the Democratic Party.
But Tuesday's event made it clear that the campaign is still close to his heart, as his campaign team filled an auditorium in Manassas, filled a stage with mostly young female voters and displayed a giant “RESTORE ROE” banner to mark the 51st anniversary on from Roe v. Calf.
“Across our country, women are suffering,” Vice President Kamala Harris said at the event. “And let us be very clear about who is responsible.” Former President Trump personally hand-picked three Supreme Court justices because he intended to oust them. He wanted them to take away your freedoms. He is the architect of this health crisis. And he's not finished yet. And the extremists aren't done yet.
Stubborn broken bones were also seen outside the event, as protesters taunted “Genocide Joe” as the presidential motorcade rolled in and several people poured pink fake blood into the snow.
The protesters sought to steal the spotlight at an event attended by the president, first lady, vice president and second gentleman
President Joe Biden (right) and first lady Jill Biden flew to Northern Virginia to hold a rally to restore abortion rights after the Supreme Court condemned Roe v. Wade
First Gentleman Doug Emhoff and First Lady Jill Biden each spoke at the event, with Emhoff describing the time his wife told him that Roe had been overturned.
“We were both outraged and knew we had to put that anger into action,” he said.
“Do we all still feel that outrage today?” “I know that,” he said.
“They won't stop.” What they are doing is immoral. What they are doing is wrong. “We must all stand up for the dignity and freedom of all Americans,” Emhoff said a day after Harris kicked off her “reproductive freedoms tour” with a speech in Wisconsin.
“Everything is at stake.” Our rights are at stake. “Our future is at stake,” Emhoff said after saying, “Donald Trump…And the extreme MAGA-Rs have created this new reality where families live in fear and doctors are worried about helping patients.”
While polls showed low public approval ratings for Biden and less enthusiasm for him among Democrats than Trump among Republicans, the crowd in Virginia cheered “Four more years!”
In her own remarks, Jill Biden told a story about visiting and accommodating a friend who had an abortion after her friend became pregnant in high school. She said the friend was asked to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before a doctor in Pennsylvania would perform the procedure.
She said she asked her mother, “Can she stay with us?” My mother didn’t hesitate. Of course she can. And my mother never told a soul. In fact, we never spoke about it again. Secrecy, shame, silence, danger and even death – that characterized this time for so many women. And thanks to Dobbs, we find ourselves there again.
“We're not going to let the extreme MAGA Republicans win this fight, are we?” she asked the several hundred people, who responded “No!”