President Biden to speak at North Charleston church, visit historic Charleston museum in farewell visit

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – President Joe Biden will spend his last full day in office in South Carolina, the state that helped solidify his bid for the White House in 2020.

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will attend a Sunday morning service at Royal Missionary Baptist Church in North Charleston where he is expected to address the congregation and speak on the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as part of his farewell appearance.

The Bidens will also travel into downtown Charleston to tour the International African American Museum at Gadsden’s Wharf. In this place, more than 200,000 enslaved Africans were brought into the country from 1670 to 1808.

Congressman James Clyburn told the Associated Press this week that Biden’s visit was his way of saying “thank you” to the Palmetto State for supporting his presidency.

Biden saw a rocky campaign for president during the early 2020 primaries until he reached South Carolina, where with Rep. Clyburn’s help, saw his first major victory.

“Joe Biden is showing once again who he is by coming back to the state that really launched him to the presidency,” Rep. Clyburn told The Associated Press.

The Charleston Police Department warned residents that road closures and traffic delays were anticipated from Sunday morning through the afternoon due to the presidential visit. The United States Coast Guard also said water near the museum would be restricted for vessels most of the day.

After touring the museum, Biden and the first lady will head back to Washington D.C. where they will spend their final night in the White House before attending a send-off ceremony following Monday’s inaugural ceremony.

The president’s most recent visit to Charleston came last January when he addressed the congregation at Mother Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston, where nine people were shot and killed in a June 2015 white supremacist attack. The attack brought former President Obama and at the time, Vice President Biden to Charleston for the victim’s funerals.

The Bidens have also been known to vacation on Kiawah Island over the years. The president visited Kiawah while serving as Vice President in 2009, 2013, and 2015. He and the First Lady vacationed there again in August 2022.

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Author: Tim Renaud