Things went less than well for President Joe Biden when he stopped by a trio of small businesses in the downtown section of small town in the swing state of Pennsylvania. That town was Emmaus, PA, a small municipality in the eastern part of the state.
The president’s visit came amidst what many Americans see as a declining or on the rocks economic environment, with a slew of major companies, such as Citigroup, Amazon, and Google, announcing mass rounds of layoffs in recent days.
President Biden, meanwhile, visited a running shoe store, bicycle shop, and coffee house in Emmaus. While swinging by the swing state shoe store, a hostile crowd jeered at and heckled him, shouting about his failings and demanding he go home and get out of their little town.
One member of the hostile crowd, for example, yelled “Go home, Joe!” as Biden walked into the bike stop alongside with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Bob Casey. Another yelled, “You’re a loser!” That heckler then again yelled, “Loser!”
While in Emmaus Coffee, Biden was asked, “Do you have a message for Iran, sir?” Responding, he said, “I’ve already delivered the message to Iran. They know not to do anything.” He was then asked “Are we in a de facto proxy war with Iran?” and “Will you continue bombing the Houthis if the attacks don’t stop, sir?”
He asked, in response, “Say that again” and was told the question was “Will you continue bombing the Houthis if the attacks don’t stop? Will you continue with the strikes, sir?” Responding, he said, “We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior, along with our allies.”
Then he was asked, “Do you have confidence in Secretary Austin?” He replied in the affirmative, saying, “I do.” But then he was asked, “Was it a lapse in judgment for him not to tell you earlier?” and admitted that it was a lapse of judgment for Secretary of Defense Austin to not inform him of his hospital stay.
Biden then went on to deny that America is in a proxy war with Iran despite admitting to bombing the Houthis and, when asked if the airstrikes succeeded, said, “Yes. It was very — I don’t think there’s any civilian casualties. That’s another reason why it’s a success. So, look, we’re going to get a chance to talk, apparently, at the — after the fire station. So, rather than —By the way, anybody want a coffee? It’s on me. (Laughter.) All right?”
Then, imitating Trump’s performance at fast food joints around the nation, Biden offered to pay for the drink of those in the coffee shop with him, though that didn’t stop the energy surrounding the visit from being quite low, unlike a Trump visit, nor did it stop the protesters from heckling him. Watch their heckling and yelling here:
