White House officials to embark on post-State of the Union travel blitz

Biden administration officials are kicking off a two-week travel blitz next week to sell President Biden’s accomplishments and draw a contrast with former President Trump, the likely GOP nominee.

The White House previewed more than two dozen trips over the course of March from various Cabinet officials and top aides to the president. Their travel will coincide with planned campaign stops by Biden to swing states including Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan in coming days.

“In the weeks following his State of the Union address, the President’s Cabinet and senior Administration officials will continue fanning out across the country to speak directly to the American people — underscoring the historic progress we have made thanks to the President’s agenda as well as the clear contrast between competing visions for the country,” a White House official said.

The travel will kick off Monday, with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack heading to Arizona to tout investments for farmers; Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland traveling to Florida for a climate conference; and senior adviser Steve Benjamin touting private sector investments in Texas.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will travel to Philadelphia on Tuesday to highlight bridge repairs funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law, while Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will be in Kentucky on Wednesday to tout investments that benefit disadvantaged communities.

Other states officials will visit from March 11-27 include South Carolina, Nevada, Missouri, Massachusetts, New York, California, North Carolina, Utah, Ohio and Michigan.

The administration-wide travel to educate the public on the president’s accomplishments comes as his campaign looks to shift its focus toward a likely general election match-up with former President Trump.

Biden used Thursday’s State of the Union to highlight numerous bipartisan accomplishments from his first three years in office and highlight priorities for a possible second term, including codifying abortion rights, curbing gun violence, giving teachers a pay raise and increasing the corporate minimum tax.