Biden touts investment in rural areas in Minnesota, the home state of his primary challenger

By WILL WEISSERT and CHRIS MEGERIAN
Associated Press

NORTHFIELD, Minn. (AP) — President Joe Biden has visited a family-run farm in Minnesota and held a fundraiser featuring many of the state’s top Democrats. His Wednesday trip is championing his administration’s investments in rural America but also lets the president flex his political muscle on the home turf of his new 2024 primary challenger, Rep. Dean Phillips. The White House says the trip was planned previously and unrelated to Phillips’ candidacy. At the farm, Biden didn’t mention Phillips while announcing more than $5 billion in spending, largely in rural areas. It will go to initiatives like better adapting agriculture to climate change, as well as expanding high-speed internet access and improving local infrastructure.