Pennsylvania's Democrat lieutenant governor and attorney general, who are both running for higher offices in this year's elections, won't be in Pittsburgh on Friday to greet President Joe Biden because "he's toxic," Rep. Ralph Norman said Friday on Newsmax.
"They will say it's scheduling, but now he's toxic," the South Carolina Republican said on Newsmax's "National Report." "Look at the train wreck that he has put this country through. They see what happened.
"They saw firsthand what happened in Virginia where you had a newcomer beat a political hack that had been there for years and years."
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who is running for the U.S. Senate this year, and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, will not attend due to "scheduling conflicts," their spokespeople told The Associated Press. Both Fetterman and Shapiro said politics had no bearing on their decision not to be at Biden's appearance.
Fetterman said he would miss Biden's visit to attend the Democratic State Committee winter meetings, which begin Friday in Harrisburg.
Fetterman was still in Pittsburgh Friday morning at the scene of the Forbes Avenue bridge collapse, reports CNN, which quoted him speaking about the collapse and pointing to it as the need for infrastructure legislation. He also tweeted a photograph from the scene.
The lieutenant governor and his family live in nearby Braddock, Pa., according to WTAE-TV.
Meanwhile, Norman said there is a reason that many Democrat candidates don't want to attend Biden's events, and that's because they "see the handwriting on the wall."
"As the economy goes, so goes the elections," said Norman. "It's far more than just the economy, so no, they're making a conscious decision not to attend because his endorsement hurts them rather than helps them."
Meanwhile, Biden's poll numbers continue to drop, and Norman said that is because Americans are feeling the effects of his presidency in their pockets.
"When they go to fill up gas, they realize they're paying 60% more, and when they go to the grocery stores, they're seeing the empty shelves," said Norman. "Look at what's happening all over the country with crime. You know their ability to extract your paycheck is just not there and it's directly the fault of this administration.
"When they took over from Donald Trump, we didn't have this. We were energy-independent. The supply chain wasn't bottled up like it is now, and it's not that hard to fix, but [Biden is] disconnected. He doesn't understand. He's a typical politician who has been in office for way too long and his administration is the same way."
Norman also commented on legislation Republicans are working on in his home state to make it illegal to ask for a vaccine passport, and said he agrees there should be no vaccine mandates.
"Most of the police forces around the country are short-staffed anyway and South Carolina is no different," said Norman. "You shouldn't have to have the COVID shot, but that's for each individual to decide."