President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, held a “thank you” event Thursday for hundreds of staffers who worked on his re-election campaign, which he decided to abandon nearly three weeks ago.
Given the security tents, the venue offers a dose of political nostalgia. Staffers met Biden at The Queen, a music venue that played a key role in his successful run for president in 2020, when he often spoke to the public from the theater’s stage.
After dropping out of the race, Biden wanted to show his appreciation for the staff’s work over the past year and their continued efforts in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, who succeeded him as the Democratic nominee. That’s according to a person familiar with the president’s plans who shared details of the events but insisted on anonymity to discuss the arrangements.
The event also included food and, naturally, for Biden, his favorite ice cream.
The news media was not invited to attend the event, but one attendee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Biden and his wife gave speeches and posed for photos with staff.
The president has maintained his image of less than stellar performance since dropping out of the presidential race, as confidence in his ability to defeat Donald Trump waned after a botched debate with his rival on June 27.
He has cut back on his travel schedule and held more closed-door policy briefings.
Biden is still engaged in some key activities, such as working toward a prisoner swap involving Russia that resulted in a multinational deal that saw two dozen people released.
The Queen, the concert hall in downtown Wilmington where Biden met with staff, played a key role in the 2020 election because public gatherings and travel were restricted due to the pandemic. He used the space to hold press conferences and give speeches.
According to the venue’s website, the building was originally a 19th-century hotel popular with traveling sailors. It was converted into a movie theater from 1916 to 1959, but was then abandoned and fell into disrepair over the next 50 years. Queen reopened it as a music venue in 2011.
Following Biden’s presentation, the Cobra Whip, the Stone Eye and the Dirty House Bands will perform on Friday, the theater’s website states.