President Biden on Thursday stopped in the Park City area on a fundraising trip, wowing a crowd at a private residence in The Colony as he told stories drawn from his lifetime, emphasized his longtime view of the importance of the middle class and expressed optimism for the nation’s future.
Biden, wearing a blue suit without a tie, entered through the front door to applause and cheers from a crowd that gathered around his lectern, placed in front of a large stone fireplace. The president’s remarks largely tracked the themes of his presidency as well as his earlier political career as the vice president during the Obama administration and as a senator from Delaware.
The event was a rare opportunity for a crowd in the Park City area to hear from a president in person. Kristi and John Cumming and Nancy and Mark Gilbert hosted the event. John Cumming is the chairman and founder of the mountain resort company Powdr while Mark Gilbert is a former ambassador. The lowest level of contribution for someone to attend was $3,300, and each of the levels, reaching $100,000, was sold out.
“There’s nothing beyond our capacity,” Biden said to a standing ovation as he summarized his view of the United States.
He said the nation is the only one that is based on an idea and is a product of its political institutions. The United States has always been able to solve its problems, he said.
Biden described himself as never having been a supporter of the theory of trickle-down economics, which is seen by critics as being advantageous to the wealthy. He described a vision of the poor having a way up the economic ladder even as the middle class and wealthy continue to do well. He noted the falling rate of inflation from its height, employment gains and the coronavirus vaccination effort.
The president’s space was cordoned off from the crowd, and he moved from side to side as he spoke, sometimes resting an arm on one of the poles that held up the stanchion barrier between himself and the crowd.
Biden recalled being the only white lifeguard while working during his youth, noted his “Mr. Amtrak” label for his penchant for taking trains and lightheartedly mentioned his extensive time in the Senate prior to becoming the vice president.
He moved between the disparate topics of a presidential campaign, never spending extensive time on an individual subject. The speech involved standard issues for his reelection bid, and Biden did not appear to tailor most of the remarks to a Park City audience. He briefly mentioned the altitude early in the remarks, though.
Some of the topics he covered included:
• a concern that Americans are “falling into camps” and a need for that trend to stop.
• a description of what he called an “infrastructure decade.”
• a statement about keeping NATO together and the strength of the alliance, drawing applause.
• the importance of policies involving China. He said there is high unemployment and an aging population, referring to a “ticking time bomb” there.
• a contention that the nation does not need an America-first policy.
The presidential motorcade entered the Park City area on Interstate 80, exited at Kimball Junction and quickly moved south on S.R. 224 to the turnoff into The Colony. There were temporary closures of roads along the route to allow the motorcade to move unhindered. There were numerous local and state law enforcement vehicles involved in addition to the regular presidential security detail. Access was restricted around the location of the event.
Biden became the third president to visit the Park City area since the late 1990s. Bill Clinton twice arrived on vacation during his second term while George W. Bush made a fundraising stop late in his presidency. Park City has become a regular fundraising location for Democrats and Republicans, drawing a roster of well-known political figures hoping to tap Parkites and vacation-home owners.
Correction; A previous version of this article listed an incorrect state when referring to President Biden’s Senate service.