House Democrats’ campaign chief defends Biden midterm schedule

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) on Sunday defended President Biden’s midterm campaign schedule, saying the president has been out to boost Democrats in the November elections and the party is focusing on its messaging and successes.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Maloney replied when asked about the topic by “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl on ABC, citing a recent event at which Biden appeared in New York. “We’ve got a strategy. … Why don’t we let the voters speak?”

When Karl pointed out that former presidents, including Barack Obama, have appeared on the road more ahead of midterm elections, Maloney, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Biden is working to fix “problems that are concerning people.”

“I don’t think the voters want to punish the person fixing the problem and reward the person trying to exploit the problem for political gain,” Maloney said. “Why don’t we let the strategy play out of trying to solve problems and tell people about it, and when voters have spoken, we won.”

In an appearance on “Meet the Press,” NBC’s Kristen Welker noted that “we’re seeing a lot of former President Obama on the campaign trail.”

“Not as much of the current president,” she added during a roundtable discussion on Sunday.

Obama has several appearances slated across the country this month.

The New York Times noted last week that he will appear for big campaign rallies in Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee and Las Vegas, while Biden has not appeared at a major campaign rally since before Labor Day.

Biden has toured the country and attended campaign events, including one last week to support Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman, but they have been smaller than the large rallies a president would traditionally hold before a big election.

Democrats are running a tight race against Republicans, with polls showing the two parties are neck and neck on a generic congressional ballot.