Next week, President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the state of Arizona.
The president is scheduled to visit Phoenix on March 19 and 20, after making stops in Reno and Las Vegas. No information has been released about the specifics of the visit while in Arizona.
In September of 2023, the president made a trip to Arizona to pay tribute to the late Sen. John McCain. During his visit in August of the same year, the president declared a national monument, effectively banning any new uranium mining near the Grand Canyon. This was the last visit by Biden to Arizona.
On Tuesday, President Biden and Trump secured their parties’ presidential nominations in the primaries. They both dominated in key states, such as swing-state Georgia, deep-red Mississippi, and Democratic-leaning Washington. Additionally, Trump emerged victorious in the Republican caucus in Hawaii. Neither candidate encountered significant opposition in their respective races.
Biden’s visit to Arizona comes in the footsteps of Vice President Kamala Harris, who visited Arizona last week to advocate for abortion rights to be included on the November ballot in Arizona.
In 2021, Harris was assigned to lead the White House effort to tackle the migration challenge at the U.S. southern border and work with Central American nations to address root causes of the problem. Yet during her visit to Arizona in 2023, she attended the groundbreaking ceremony for an energy infrastructure project. When questioned about her intentions to visit the border, which was only 100 miles away, she defended her decision not to visit the southern border.
“I am here to talk about what we are doing around bringing down the cost to American families and creating jobs,” Harris told local news station KPHO, when asked why she did not plan a border visit. “Let me say on the border that it is one of our highest priorities to continue to work on making sure that the border is secure and that we also do what is necessary to have a fair and humane system.
On June 25, 2021, Harris made an official visit to El Paso, Texas. During her visit, she met with border patrol agents, immigration advocates, and other stakeholders to gather information and assess the situation on the ground.
Some critics argue that she has not visited the Arizona border, questioning her commitment to understanding the reality and finding effective solutions. These allegations have sparked a divisive debate.
