President Joe Biden traveled to Pueblo, Colo., on Wednesday to tout his economic agenda. And even though the trip was an official event – and not hosted by his re-election campaign – the politics were unavoidable.
Biden took aim at GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert's opposition to the Inflation Reduction Act, and he also name-checked former President Donald Trump and "MAGA Republicans" for supporting tax cuts for the wealthy and opposing investments in education and health care programs.
One word that didn't come up? "Bidenomics." NBC's Megan Lebowitz, Ghael Fobes and Peter Nicholas found that Biden has used the term 101 times since June, but he hasn't uttered the phrase in any speeches since Nov. 1. They write that "some Democratic strategists and Biden allies have criticized the branding."
Meanwhile, on the campaign trail, Biden's campaign is zeroing in on health care in a new TV ad, per NBC's Monica Alba. The ad doesn't name Trump directly, but a nurse featured in the spot says, "The last administration's policies were so troubling." The new ad comes as Trump has doubled down on his comments that he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, per NBC's Sahil Kapur.
But even as Biden's team tries to focus on health care and the economy, Vice President Kamala Harris' appearance at the New York Times DealBook Summit underscored that the campaign continues to face questions about Biden's electability and age.
Harris dismissed polls showing Biden struggling against Trump, and said "age is more than a chronological fact." She said of Biden, "Not only is he absolutely authoritative in rooms around the globe, but in the Oval Office."
In other campaign news …
Newsom vs. DeSantis: NBC's Jonathan Allen previews Thursday night's debate between Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis' travel ban: Back in 2015, when he was a congressman, DeSantis proposed his own version of a travel ban to bar refugees from certain countries in the Middle East, NBC's Natasha Korecki reports.
Trump's debate plans: Trump will not attend next week's GOP debate – instead he'll hold a private fundraiser in Florida, NBC's Jake Traylor and Jonathan Allen report.
State of Vivek: Entrepreneur Vivek Ramswamy's political director has left his campaign to join the Trump team, per NBC's Emma Barnett, Katherine Koretski and Jonathan Allen. Ramaswamy, meanwhile, has ramped up his focus on Iowa, opening his campaign's first headquarters in the state, per Koretski and NBC's Alex Tabet.
Donor plea: JPMorgan CEO Jaime Dimon implored business leaders to "help" former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley's presidential campaign, per CNBC's Brian Schwartz.
No shark in the White House: Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban on Wednesday dismissed rumors that he plans to run for the White House in 2024.
Weighing in: In New Hampshire on Tuesday, Haley argued that discussion of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians is "not a true conversation," because one side has always opposed it, NBC News' Emma Barnett, Sarah Dean and Greg Hyatt report.
Counting on abortion to defend the majority: Red-state Democrats, like Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, are hoping that the issue of abortion rights could propel them to victory in otherwise tight races next year.
Already eying bigger wins next year: Democrats are hoping to carry their momentum from state legislative wins in Virginia earlier this month to more expansive wins in closely-contested state legislatures across the country next year.
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