Pres. Biden and first lady head to Bay Area for campaign fundraisers
SAN FRANCISCO -- President Joe Biden was en route to the Bay Area on Thursday for reelection campaign fundraisers, according to the White House.
Biden left Washington, D.C. on Air Force One and arrived Thursday evening at Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View before traveling to San Francisco from there.
On Friday, the president will attend two fundraisers in the Bay Area before leaving for Seattle later in the day, White House officials said.
Thursday afternoon, sidewalks along Marina Blvd in San Francisco were meticulously lined with barriers hours before the president's scheduled arrival.
"I think it's great seeing (the president) in the neighborhood. I love to see him in San Francisco," said Neil Lelani who was walking his dog in the neighborhood.
Retired FBI agent Jeff Harp, raised the possibility that protests over the Israel-Hamas war could pose security problems for the Secret Service.
"I think one of the things that I'm sure the security crews and others are thinking about is our recent protests on the Golden Gate Bridge and other areas here where they shut [Interstate Highway] 880 in light of what's going on in Israel and Gaza," Harp said.
President Biden has campaign fundraising events scheduled for Silicon Valley on Friday.
"The Biden team knows that this is going to be a record-setting time in terms of raising dollars for this presidential election," said political science professor David McCuan with Sonoma State University.
According to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, California Street will be closed between Powell and Taylor Streets all day Thursday and Friday as will Mason Street between Pine and Sacramento Streets. The California cable car line will also be replaced by buses both days.
Biden last visited the region in February for a brief trip that also included multiple reelection campaign fundraisers, as well as a meeting with the widow and daughter of Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who had recently died.
First lady Jill Biden is also arriving in the Bay Area on Thursday but was traveling separately from her husband and coming from a campaign event in Portland. She was scheduled to attend another campaign event in Marin County on Thursday evening before leaving Friday for Southern California.
KPIX correspondent José Martínez contributed to this report