As he travels the country, President Biden is tapping an unofficial group of advisers to help hone his message: the lawmakers flying with him aboard Air Force One.
Previewing his remarks to mostly Democratic lawmakers in the conference room of the iconic aircraft, Biden's found a way to catch up on the kinds of in-person interactions and instant feedback that COVID-era precautions have greatly curtailed on the ground in Washington.In the process, he's made some lawmakers feel a part of his team, building goodwill for battles down the line.
“We went together knee-to-knee for like 20 minutes," recalled Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz , who traveled with Biden this summer to South Florida after the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium. “I had a chance to look him in the eye to talk him through the detail that would really best prepare him when he landed on the ground.”
For Biden, who's sought to message responsible COVID-19 precautions, the solitude of the office has only increased as a result of the pandemic and all the public health restrictions the White House has imposed.Traveling outside the White House is one of the few ways he can escape the bubble and interact with people who haven’t been screened by his staff.
“I have one serious regret,” Biden told donors at the Hotel Washington earlier this week. “I had hoped by now each one of you who had helped us get to where we are would have had full access to the White House.”So far, Biden hasn't used Air Force One to soar above the partisan divide of Washington.
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