President Joe Biden speaks on accomplishments at SCDP First in the Nation dinner in Columbia

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - President Joe Biden was the featured speaker for the South Carolina Democratic Party’s (SCDP) First-in-the-Nation Celebration dinner on Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m.

This dinner, one of the biggest Democratic fundraiser events of the year, marked the President’s second speech in the Palmetto State this year after Biden spoke at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston on Jan. 8.

The dinner takes place at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds just a week before South Carolina’s Democratic presidential primary on Feb. 3.

After a passionate introduction by Jim Clyburn, Biden took the stage and thanked prominent South Carolina Democrats like Jim Clyburn and Jaime Harrison, emphasizing the importance of South Carolina to his administration.

“I wouldn’t be here without the Democrats of South Carolina,” President Biden said. “You’re the reason Donald Trump is a loser. And you’re the reason we’re going to win and beat him again.”

Most of the President’s remarks centered on his administration’s economic achievements: decreasing inflation, providing American citizens with stimulus checks in the wake of COVID-19, ushering in the lowest wealth gap in 20 years and creating 14 million new jobs within three years.

He referenced former President Donald Trump frequently throughout his remarks, providing a contrast between the two presidents’ administrations. Biden took shots at the GOP frontrunner several times, saying his administration floundered on a deadly pandemic, precipitated an economic free-fall and shook Americans’ faith in the electoral process.

Biden was at his most passionate recollecting a time when Trump called American troops “suckers and losers” after refusing to visit a war memorial, an act which he ardently condemned. He also joked about Trump’s mental fitness, taking a shot at Trump’s confusing of presidential candidate Nikki Haley and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi within a recent speech.

Biden also spoke on his administration’s accomplishments pertaining to the Black community. He said his administration has helped advance Black-owned small businesses, cut Black poverty in half, appoint more Black judges to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals and nominate Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

Nearing the end of his speech, the President touched on other successes during his presidency: expansion of internet infrastructure, attempting to federally ban assault weapons and working on a bipartisan border security deal to put more immigration agents on the Southwest border.

In closing, he positioned Donald Trump as an enemy of individual freedoms and himself as a steward of them.

“We are big enough, strong enough, blessed enough for all of us to succeed,” Biden said.

Other guests at this year’s SCDP dinner include SCDP Chair Christale Spain, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Jaime Harrison, Representative Jim Clyburn, and presidential candidates Marianne Williamson and Congressman Dean Phillips.

Notable figures like California Governor Gavin Newsom have also been campaigning on Biden’s behalf in the Palmetto State, hoping to gather support for his reelection campaign.

South Carolina has a population of approximately 5 million people, but it is one of the fastest growing states in the United States. The Democratic Party has not had any serious wins in the Palmetto State since the Civil Rights era, but other Southern states like Kentucky, North Carolina and Georgia did see a turn towards the Democratic Party in 2020. In the last presidential election, President Biden gained 49% of the vote in the South Carolina primary.

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