Current:Home > InvestBiden will "100%" be the Democratic presidential nominee, says campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Biden will "100%" be the Democratic presidential nominee, says campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez
View Date:2024-12-23 14:58:32
As some Democrats continue to call for a Democratic primary challenge against President Joe Biden, his campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, expressed confidence that he'll be the 2024 nominee.
In an interview Thursday, CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe asked her about the odds she'd place on Mr. Biden being the Democratic nominee.
"I'd say 100%," she responded. "You know, what we're seeing is a stronger and more united Democratic Party than I know I've seen in my lifetime. You know, the Democratic National Committee has never been stronger."
A CBS News poll this week indicated that former President Donald Trump has a slight edge over the current president, with 50% of likely voters saying they would support Trump and 49% supporting Biden, a statistical tie.
Chavez Rodriguez declined to say whether the Biden campaign believed Trump, who is polling far ahead of any of his Republican opponents, would be Mr. Biden's general election opponent.
"We're not gonna — kinda make any predictions about you know, what, who our opponent is going to be," Chavez Rodriguez said. "At the end of the day though, we're going to ensure that everyone understands no matter who our opponent is, they're coming with the same extreme agenda that we've seen time and time again, whether it's from folks like Trump or DeSantis, or whomever else may be."
"While Republicans continue to waste resources fighting amongst themselves and trying to 'out-MAGA' one another with the next you know, most extreme position, whether it's a national abortion ban or continuing to scapegoat immigrants, we're going to have the competitive advantage and continue to reach out to voters that we know are going to help us win in November," she added.
Chavez Rodriguez, the granddaughter of farm labor champion Cesar Chavez, also told O'Keefe it was "extremely surreal" to see the statue of her grandfather that sits in the Oval Office.
"At times I feel like I had to walk into the Oval Office and sort of keep it out of my vision," Chavez Rodriguez said. "It's such an emotional thing for me to see because, for me, what it symbolizes is not just my own personal history, but really the history of a people in this country who have contributed so much, who have literally put food on our table."
Chavez Rodriguez will try to draw on her personal background to boost the president's standing with Hispanic voters, as more Hispanic voters in the CBS News poll said they believed Trump would defeat Mr. Biden in the 2024 election.
The president, too, has long been an outspoken proponent for labor unions, and he said last week that the nation's auto workers ought to "receive a fair share of the benefits they helped create," amid the union's strike against the big three U.S. automakers. Chavez Rodriguez slammed Trump and Republicans for policies she said would hurt auto workers.
"Republicans and folks like Donald Trump, they've been absolutely horrible for American auto workers," Chavez Rodriguez said. "They've shipped jobs overseas. They've increased you know, tax cuts for the rich. That's not the kind of, you know, vision that helps the American worker."
Trump, who is skipping the second GOP primary debate and instead plans to address union workers in Detroit at the same time, has echoed the concerns of auto workers that Mr. Biden's push for electric vehicles will hurt them. Fewer workers are needed to manufacture the cars, and battery plants are opening in right-to-work states, rather than union-friendly sites.
"The auto workers are not going to have any jobs when you come right down to it, because if you take a look at what they're doing with electric cars, electric cars are going to be made in China," Trump said on NBC News' "Meet the Press."
In her new role as campaign manager, Chavez Rodriguez said she communicates regularly with the president and that she has trained herself to answer every phone call, since the president sometimes calls her unexpectedly.
"Rest assured, [Mr. Biden] is very engaged. And look, he knows what's at stake, and he understands that, you know, we have an important kind of story and message to tell, but he also knows that we have an important job to do as a campaign," Chavez Rodriguez said.
The campaign is ramping up as the president's son, Hunter Biden, is set to face federal gun possession charges and possibly others. He did not have an active public role during the 2020 campaign, and Chavez Rodriguez would not say whether he would again maintain a low profile in 2024.
"We're building a strong surrogate campaign and operation," she said, adding later, "We'll have a great kind of surrogate cohort" deployed next Wednesday to the site of the Republican presidential debate in Simi Valley, Calif.
Watch Ed O'Keefe's interview with Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez Thursday at 5 p.m. on CBS News' "America Decides."
Cara Korte, Allison Sandza and Grace Kazarian contributed to this story.
- In:
- Joe Biden
Bo Erickson is a reporter covering the White House for CBS News Digital.
TwitterveryGood! (42788)
Related
- NCT DREAM enters the 'DREAMSCAPE': Members on new album, its concept and songwriting
- Jerry Stackhouse out as Vanderbilt men's basketball coach after five seasons
- Duty, Honor, Outrage: Change to West Point’s mission statement sparks controversy
- Mega Millions jackpot closing in on $800 million: What to know about the next lottery drawing
- College football Week 12 expert picks for every Top 25 game include SEC showdowns
- JPMorgan fined almost $350M for issues with trade surveillance program
- San Diego Padres acquire Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease
- Gwyneth Paltrow swears this form of meditation changed her life. So I tried it with her.
- Steelers shoot for the moon ball, but will offense hold up or wilt in brutal final stretch?
- NLRB certifies union to represent Dartmouth basketball players
Ranking
- Jennifer Garner and Boyfriend John Miller Are All Smiles In Rare Public Outing
- Regina King reflects on her son's death in emotional interview: 'Grief is a journey'
- Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning to Host Opening Ceremony for 2024 Paris Olympics
- 'A world apart': How racial segregation continues to determine opportunity for American kids
- Biden EPA to charge first-ever ‘methane fee’ for drilling waste by oil and gas companies
- Kristin Cavallari Shares Glimpse at Spring Break With Kids After Romance Debut
- Black Mirror Season 7 Details Revealed
- Fox News' Benjamin Hall on life two years after attack in Kyiv: Love and family 'saved me'
Recommendation
-
The USDA is testing raw milk for the avian flu. Is raw milk safe?
-
Dean McDermott Shares Insight Into Ex Tori Spelling’s Bond With His New Girlfriend Lily Calo
-
Amazon to offer special deals on seasonal products with first ever Big Spring Sale
-
Wife of Gilgo Beach murders suspect says she's giving husband benefit of the doubt
-
Investigators believe Wisconsin kayaker faked his own death before fleeing to eastern Europe
-
Lionel Messi wears new Argentina Copa America 2024 jersey kit: Check out the new threads
-
Neil Young is returning to Spotify after boycotting platform over Joe Rogan and COVID-19 misinformation
-
Powerball jackpot hits $600 million. Could just one common number help you win 3/16/24?