President Biden’s visit to a Sheetz gas station in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday received a subdued reception, with the mostly empty store offering a stark contrast to the enthusiastic crowds seen at recent stops by former President Trump.
Arriving at the Sheetz location in the Pittsburgh area, Biden’s motorcade pulled up to find a quiet atmosphere. The president, sporting his signature aviators, entered the mostly empty store, where he briefly chatted with a child and greeted a small group of customers in line.
At the counter, Biden paid for takeout bags with cash and posed for a picture with the staff. Amidst the interaction, one of the president’s aides was observed aggressively instructing a journalist to step back.
WATCH:
The "most popular" president pulled into the Sheetz gas station in Moon Township, PA, and aside from the staff and reporters, nobody paid him any attention.
Biden is so pathetic. pic.twitter.com/ZkqT5s2ntP
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) April 17, 2024
The White House later clarified that Biden was picking up sandwiches for local construction workers, with his team placing a large order online that included fruit and other ready-to-eat items. Sheetz, in a statement, expressed enthusiasm for the presidential visit, saying, “Everyone loves a good Sheetz Run, even the President of the United States.”
The subdued scene stood in contrast to recent campaign stops by former President Trump, who received enthusiastic receptions at similar outings. Trump’s visit to a Bodega in deep blue Harlem, New York, saw a massive crowd chanting “four more years” and “we love Trump,” with the former president joining in before posing for pictures.
Similarly, Trump received a warm reception at an Atlanta Chick-Fil-A earlier in the month, where he interacted with staff and purchased lunch for them, an encounter that quickly went viral on social media.
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