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EXCLUSIVE: President Biden unsettled members of the US Marine Band when he campaigned for the Democrats at an official White House event where they performed, a source familiar with the inner workings of the band told Fox News Digital.
On Tuesday, Biden traveled to Keystone State with the Marine Band in tow for an event where he promoted Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman as they seek higher positions during the midterm elections this fall.
“It’s presumptuous of me to say this. But consider doing me a favor. Please, please elect the Attorney General to the Senate. Elect this big boy to the office of Governor,” said Biden, mixing up the offices the two Democrats seek. .
Shapiro is running for governor against GOP nominee Doug Mastriano, while Fetterman faces Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz for the open Senate seat.
Members of the Marine Corps Band were unsettled by President Biden’s election campaign at an official event Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022 in Pennsylvania, where the White House asked the band to play. Biden is pictured here delivering his speech in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
“I didn’t know active duty military members could wear uniforms at political rallies. Ask the Secretary of Defense [Lloyd] Austin if there is an exception to this rule for Democratic campaign events,” a source familiar with the group’s inner workings told Fox News Digital.
“Anyone with eyes to see knows that the Marine Corps just gave an in-kind contribution to Pennsylvania Democrats ahead of the midterm elections,” the source continued. “And they will do it again on Thursday in Philadelphia.”
When asked to comment on the group members’ reaction to the president’s actions, the Department of Defense (DOD) pointed Fox News Digital to the White House, which did not provide a comment to Fox News Digital.
The Marine Band did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
LINDSEY GRAHAM RESPONDS TO BIDEN’S RALLY RESPONSE: ‘YOUR VICE PRESIDENT HAS DISMISSED THE RIOTERS’
President Biden delivers his speech in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, August 30, 2022.
(FoxNews)
Mike Chamberlain, director of government watchdog Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT), told Fox News Digital that it’s “never a good idea for the president, or any other government official, to appear to use the taxpayers’ resources for partisan campaign purposes”.
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“However, the president and vice president are specifically exempt from the Hatch Act, the law that restricts federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity,” Chamberlain said of the president’s downfall.
“Whether or not there is an official breach, we at Protect the Public’s Trust believe that those responsible should be held to the same standards, regardless of party or ideology, and hope that President Biden’s activities will be subject to the same level of scrutiny as any of its predecessors,” he continued.
Democrats criticized Donald Trump in 2020 for making election-related remarks at a White House event where the band performed.