- The president will attend events in Jupiter and Miami, Florida, on Tuesday
- It comes as he weighs in on the striking Iran-backed militias that killed three U.S. soldiers
On Monday, Joe Biden was in the situation room weighing his response to a drone strike that killed three American soldiers in Jordan. On Tuesday he leaves the White House to raise funds through Florida.
The trip includes a campaign stop in Jupiter, close to Donald Trump's home and political headquarters at Mar-a-Lago, where he is raising money for his 2024 re-election bid.
Then the 81-year-old Biden makes the short hop to Miami for a second event.
So far he has made little effort to win Florida, once a swing state but now considered solid Republican territory.
The campaign shift comes amid a deepening crisis in the Middle East, as Biden and his top advisers consider strikes against Iran-backed militias and his administration faces intense criticism that it should have done more to deter Tehran.
The White House released an image Monday of President Biden meeting with his security team, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, as the administration prepares to respond to an attack on a U.S. base in Jordan
From left to right: Spc. Kennedy Sanders, Sgt. William Jerome Rivers and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett. The three US Army Reserve soldiers from Georgia were killed in a drone strike on Sunday
Over the weekend, an Iranian-backed suicide drone killed three American soldiers at a remote base near Jordan's border with Syria.
The victims were named Monday as Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, Specialist Breonna Moffett, 23, and Sergeant William Rivers, 46.
Iran-backed militias calling themselves the “Axis of Resistance” have also launched more than 160 attacks on U.S. targets since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack.
However, Biden must weigh any response to prevent an even worse confrontation with Iran.
“We do not seek war with Iran.” “We do not intend to escalate tensions any further than they have already escalated,” White House national spokesman John Kirby said Monday.
“Nevertheless, it was a very serious attack.” It had fatal consequences. We will respond, and respond appropriately.”
Meanwhile, Biden will be in Florida. He lost the state to Trump in 2020 by more than three points.
Even if Biden doesn't need the state to win, he does need money from his wealthy donors.
On Tuesday morning, Biden will board Air Force One for a campaign trip to Florida
Hosts for Biden's fundraiser in Miami include Biden Victory Fund national finance chairman Chris Korge, according to Portal. Palm Beach presenters include attorney Sean Domnick.
He will be followed on Wednesday by Nikki Haley, Trump's last remaining challenger, to Florida. She will hold fundraisers in South Florida before the next major competition in her home state of South Carolina later in February.
The state may not be completely out of Democrats' reach in November, according to Kevin Wagner, a political science professor at Atlantic University.
He said the high number of independents would help Biden, as would the inability of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's former rival for the Republican nomination, and the Legislature to bring down skyrocketing housing prices.
“The issues that people are focused on will be different, the candidates will be different” than in 2022, he told the Associated Press.
“The assumption that Florida will necessarily be an easy win for Republicans is questionable.”