Parades & Politics: Gov. Moore says Americans 'need to, and will hear more' from Biden

From early morning, to late in the afternoon, there were plenty of opportunities to show your patriotism and ; but for some people who braved the heat and camped out on the street, there was an underlying concern surrounding President Joe Biden's health and mental fitness.

In Dundalk, people lined up for the 8 a.m. start time. A tired and true tradition for some, the parade also brought a chance to see and hear from some candidates, like U.S. Senate Candidates Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat, and Larry Hogan, a Republican.

Maryland's open Senate seat has drawn national attention as control of the U.S. Senate remains up for grabs in November 2024. Despite Democratic voters outnumbering Republicans 2 to 1 in Maryland, Hogan left office with high approval ratings after serving two terms.

In Dundalk, Hogan appeared to receive a warm welcome with people shouting their support for him and urging him to continue with his political career. Alsobrooks is currently the Prince George's County Executive and has a larger support among Democrats in the Washington D.C. metro area of Maryland.

The parades marked one of the first opportunities to question candidates and elected alike about President Joe Biden's debate performance on June 27, and the subsequent groundswell of concern about his ability to continue with the job and run for re-election.

"The debate performance was concerning. I mean anybody they watched that were had to be a little concerned and more importantly concerned for him, not so much which way the debate is going, but you empathize with anybody, then maybe having a moment and going through something temporarily," Congressman Kweisi Mfume said Thursday before stepping into the Arbutus Fourth of July Parade.

Congressman Mfume compared President Biden's debate performance to the moment in which Sen. Mitch McConnell seemingly froze in front of cameras, sparking a debate over whether he should stay in office, adding it is up to President Biden "to convince people that what they saw [during the debate] was a blip."

"Short of anything else happening, I'm going to stick with the President until the President tells me or indicates that I shouldn't," Congressman Mfume said.

More than a dozen Democratic governors flocked to the White House Wednesday evening for a meeting with President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. and emerged from the meeting alongside New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to address the media.

"It was a great conversation with the President and Vice President because it was honest, it was candid," Gov. Moore said outside the White House Wednesday evening. "The President has always had our backs, we are going to have his back as well."

The thing that makes us most optimistic or most hopeful is not that we are afraid of an alternative, but also that we are hopeful for the future. We know that we have work to do, Gov. Moore said.

At the Catonsville Fourth of July Parade, Gov. Moore reiterated his commitment to President Biden. When asked about recent reporting from CNN that said President Biden told the governors he needed to get more sleep and would curtail events after 8 p.m., Gov. Moore said he wouldn't discuss the details of "a private conversation."

While voicing support for the Biden-Harris Administration, Gov. Moore admitted that President Biden needs to do more to answer questions on voter's minds, especially when it comes to his age.

"The truth is, right now we're behind. The President is not winning in this election," Gov. Moore said. "So, the people do need to hear more, and they will continue to hear more."

Gov. Moore added that voters need to see the same person they once say on the campaign trail, "Scranton Joe," he said, referring to Biden people knew as personable, comfortable, and confident.

Other Democrats, like Alsobrooks who has her eyes set on the U.S. Senate, said she's focusing on her race and connecting with voters and telling them what's at skate in November.

"I think people understand that my race is one of the most important in the country. What it's about is the 51st vote," Alsobrooks said, referring the fact that control of the U.S. Senate could be decided by the Maryland Senate race.

Meanwhile, Hogan said the decision to stay in the race will be up to President Biden and his family but said he didn't think anyone who watched the debate believed it was a good night for the President.