President Joe Biden on Wednesday appeared in Colorado with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) to help boost his campaign for reelection.
The president traveled to Vail, Colorado, the home of the exclusive skiing playground for the wealthy, to declare a new Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument for the purpose of protecting 53,804 acres in the area.
“I wanted to come out here because I love being in Colorado, I love being in the West,” Biden said.
But during his remarks, he pointedly called up Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) to give him the credit for making the monument happen.
“I want to tell you — to tell ya what happened here,” Biden said after bringing him on stage.
“This guy he made this finally happen, at least me signing this certainly,” Biden continued. “He came to the White House and said, ‘I told you what I need.'”
“I said, ‘I’ll do it,'” Biden added with a chuckle. “You know why? I was worried he’d never leave the White House.”
Bennet is running for reelection this year against Republican challenger Joe O’Dea. A recent Marist Colorado Poll showed Bennet leading by only seven percentage points, putting the seat in play for Republicans.
Joe O’Dea, a candidate for the Republican nomination to run against Democratic U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, talks during a campaign appearance at a brew pub in south suburban Littleton, Colorado, June 9, 2022. (David Zalubowski, File/AP)
Biden also pointed out Bennet’s legacy as an environmentalist and mentioned that the senator’s wife, Susan Daggett, is an environmental defense lawyer.
“The reason why he’s an environmentalist — he married one. Otherwise, he’d sleep alone,” Biden quipped.
The president also spoke about his experience vacationing in the world-class ski area with his family.
“I taught my boys to ski here. I taught my family to ski here,” he said. “As you all know, especially for us Easterners, we talk about it at dinner. No, I’m serious. All those memories.”
The president said he tried to travel to every national park in the country with his kids as soon as they were old enough to travel with him.
“I wanted them to see what so many people don’t get to see,” Biden said.
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