Biden to visit Long Beach ahead of Tuesday’s recall election

President Joe Biden is scheduled to make his long-touted visit to California Monday in support of Gov. Gavin Newsom, with the pair set to speak in Long Beach one day ahead of the deadline to return ballots and vote in the gubernatorial recall election.

Newsom’s campaign confirmed that the governor and Biden will appear together in Long Beach, for what will be the campaign’s “final rally” against the recall effort.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia reacted to the news on Thursday, tweeting: “Looking forward to welcoming President @JoeBiden and Governor @GavinNewsom to Long Beach on Monday.”

Garcia tweeted a short time earlier, “We are going to do everything we can to beat this recall over the next few days — and we are creating a national roadmap for Democrats to win in 2022. Take on anti-vaxxers, defend mask mandates, stand up for science and protect public health.”

Biden is scheduled to arrive at Long Beach Airport a little before 7 p.m. Monday and depart at around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday. The location of Monday’s rally has not been released by the Newsom campaign or the White House.

Newsom campaigned in Northern California last Wednesday with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Republican talk show host Larry Elder, the leader in the polls to replace Newsom if the recall is successful, dismissed the high-level support for the governor.

“If Gavin Newsom thinks that flying in Joe Biden and Kamala Harris — not exactly the most admired government officials at the present time — will make him look better, that’s all you need to know about how oblivious and detached Newsom is from a large majority of Californians.”

Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, another Republican candidate on Tuesday’s ballot, also dismissed the president’s planned visit.

“Washington, D.C., is not going to save Gavin Newsom,” Faulconer said. “He wants to make it about anything else but him. This recall is a referendum on Gavin Newsom’s failure. That’s why so many Californians not only signed the recall petition, but that’s why Californians in all parts of the state, all party registrations, are ready for a change at the top.”

The Long Beach stop will be part of a three-state trip by Biden, who will first travel to Boise, Idaho, on Monday to visit the National Interagency Fire Center, followed by a stop in Sacramento to “survey wildfire damage,” according to the White House.

On Tuesday, Biden is scheduled to travel to Denver to tout his “Build Back Better” economic recovery agenda.

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