Experts say Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden's joint Labor Day appearance in Pittsburgh shows a recognition that Democrats need to do more in so-called "Blue Wall" states — and cemented a "passing of the torch."
Biden and Harris told rally-goers in the industrial city that U.S. Steel should remain a U.S.owned and operated as they opposed a deal that would merge the firm with Nippon Steel of Japan. The duo also made their case as to why labor unions ought to vote blue in November.
Speaking Monday on "The Situation Room" with fill-in host Alex Marquardt, Jasmine Wright of Notus called their speech a direct appeal to union voters and noted it was a base that Democrats need to win.
"I think it was a couple: I think it was an explicit recognition that this was the last stretch of the campaign, so therefore the Harris campaign really needs to step up their efforts in trying to get these voters to come home to them, come home to Vice President herself come November."
Wright added she believes it was also an "implicit recognition" that Democrats need to "do more" in Blue Wall states, noting Harris and Walz were in Michigan and Wisconsin as well earlier in the day.
"Really trying to shore up that Blue Wall for their path to 270," she said.
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Ultimately, the joint appearance was, she said, "another chance to show the voters who are in President Biden's backyard and who have been in President Biden's backyard for 40 years that the vice president is somebody that they should lend their support to a real passing of the baton."
Wright pointed out that unlike their last appearance, Biden spoke before Harris at this speech.
"That was an important thing that I think we're going to continue to see going on as they try to make that passing of the baton really, really clear to the American voters," she said.
Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed with Wright and said the speeches made it "clear" that Democrats aren't taking Blue Wall states for granted.
"I'm really happy to see that actually because we've seen overconfident campaigns in the past. We're going to need all the votes we can get in those states."
He added that Democrats are also focused heavily on winning back labor unions — a bloc he said they lost to Donald Trump — and that Biden is "exactly where he needs to be."
"In the Blue Wall states talking to labor," de Blasio said. 'I wouldn't necessarily say use him anywhere, everywhere, I think this is the perfect place and he is someone who can actually help her get some of those votes back."
Watch the clip below or at this link.