MIDDLEVILLE, MI — First Lady Jill Biden toured a YMCA camp near Middleville Wednesday morning, speaking about federal investments in free summer meals for children and visiting with campers whose parents were wounded, disabled, or killed in military service.
Her visit comes amid the fallout of President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Republican challenger Donald Trump in Atlanta on June 29.
Related: First Lady Jill Biden arrives at Grand Rapids airport ahead of community events
Biden did not speak to reporters during her visit. But U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, who joined the First Lady during her visit, reiterated her support for the president, saying “we shouldn’t evaluate anything based on one debate.”
“This is not about 90 minutes, it’s about four years,” Stabenow told reporters. “I can tell you we have more manufacturing jobs than we’ve ever had, we have more people with lower health care costs.”
Biden landed at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Cascade Township around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 2. She was greeted on the tarmac by Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, and Scholten’s two sons.
During her visit to YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin, Biden spoke to educators and camp staff about the Biden administration’s SUN Bucks program. The program, announced in May, provides a “grocery benefit of $120 per eligible school-aged child this summer,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
She said the assistance gives families a “little extra help” at a time when their budgets are being strained by high grocery prices. “Joe believes that parents shouldn’t have to worry about how they’ll feed their children,” she added.
While the Biden administration has been hammered by Republicans for inflation and higher grocery bills, the First Lady laid part of the blame on grocery store chains. “We know that while grocery chains are making record profits, they’re still raising their prices,” she said.
Following her remarks to camp staff and educators about food assistance, Biden visited with campers.
The YMCA camp was this week hosting Camp Corral, an organization that hosts camps across the country for children of wounded, ill, and fallen military heroes, according to its website.
Speaking to campers in a packed gymnasium, Biden spoke about her family’s miliary service, and the importance of providing care for veterans. She said her father served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, and that her late son, Beau, served in the Army National Guard and fought in Iraq for a year.
“I love meeting with military families and especially military kids,” Biden said. “I hope that you know that your president, my husband, Joe Biden, really cares about miliary families, because we are a military family.”
After the visit wrapped up, Biden did not speak with reporters. But Stabenow, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2001 but is not seeking another term, did field questions, and highlighted what she described as Biden’s accomplishments in office.
“We would not have the summer food programs without President Biden and Vice President Harris, and we frankly wouldn’t have the support for military families,” she said. “It’s really wonderful the first lady is here today.”
Speculation about whether President Biden, 81, will remain in the race has swirled since his poor performance against Trump on June 29.
Biden’s campaign has reiterated he’s staying in the race.
And Stabenow said she “supports President Biden” and is standing behind him. She answered, “we have not,” when asked by a reporter whether she had spoken with the First Lady about her husband’s candidacy or the debate.
She predicted a “strong Democratic showing” in the November election. When asked what President Biden needs to do to demonstrate he’s a viable candidate, Stabenow said he needs to continue to be “visibly” engaged.
“First of all, he’s doing the job,” Stabenow said. “He’s engaged on the world stage as well as in the country. He’s got to do it. He’s got to be visibly doing it so that people see what we see behind the scenes.”
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