President Joe Biden made another visit to Wisconsin on Wednesday as he seeks to build support in the battleground state, and he followed that appearance with a trip to Chicago.
According to Chicago Ald. Bill Conway, the area around Wabash and Monroe will see phased street closures in conjunction with the president’s visit to the city, and residents are urged to allow extra time to travel the loop this afternoon and evening.
The president’s motorcade also typically requires trains on the Metra Power Line to halt operations, which could delay the evening commute for some passengers.
Before the fundraiser Biden is scheduled to attend in the Loop, he visited Racine, highlighting a new Microsoft company that is expected to employ more than 2,000 people in a corridor between Milwaukee and Chicago.
Biden’s appearances also sparked a planned protest in the Loop against his actions in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, with traffic impacts also expected in the afternoon.
Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest are considered critical to Biden’s reelection hopes, since he won Wisconsin and Michigan in the 2020 election. Wednesday’s visit marked the fourth time Biden appeared in Wisconsin this year alone.
Former President Donald Trump, who met with donors in Florida on Wednesday, won Wisconsin in 2016, en route to beating Hillary Clinton in that election.
NBC Chicago
