President Joe Biden to participate in CNN forum this Wednesday

Biden on Delta Variation: Get Vaccinated, It's Safe, It's Free 1:27

Editor's Note:

CNN will hold a forum with President Joe Biden at 8 pm ET this Wednesday in Cincinnati, Ohio, which will air live on CNN, CNN International and CNN Spanish, will air on CNN.com and CNNgo and will be available On-demand for subscribers via cable / satellite systems, CNNgo platforms, and CNN mobile apps.

(CNN) -

President Joe Biden will participate in a CNN forum on Wednesday, July 21 in Cincinnati, Ohio, just over six months after taking office.

CNN host Don Lemon will moderate the live, internationally broadcast event, which will air at 8 p.m. ET and is expected to focus on a wide range of issues facing the nation, from covid-19 to the economy. .

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The event comes at a time when the administration has made progress in the fight against the covid-19 pandemic with a heavy deployment of vaccines, but concern is growing about the slowdown in the rate of vaccination in recent weeks.

The United States is now facing a surge in COVID-19 cases, driven in large part by the highly transmissible delta variant.

Forty-five states are experiencing an increase in new cases, the vast majority among unvaccinated people, and the daily rate of people getting fully vaccinated has dropped 84% since mid-April, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. USA (CDC).

• The delta variant is so contagious that those who have not been vaccinated are very likely to contract it, says expert

The forum will be held at a critical time in Biden's presidency as the administration faces a number of obstacles in Congress, including immigration, police reform and infrastructure.

The event will take place in the hometown of Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman, who was one of the senators who signed a bipartisan infrastructure agreement with the president last month at the White House and has been advocating for the Republican Party to work with Biden. on top legislative priorities.

Portman is a key Republican to watch out for during Biden's first two years in office, as he retires in late 2022, and could be a potential bipartisan negotiator.

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The event will take place in Ohio, a traditionally contested state, which has often been a key indicator in presidential elections.

The state has a Republican governor, Mike DeWine, who has been a key ally in the fight against COVID for Biden and has joined the president in multiple virtual events promoting COVID-19 vaccines.

Biden won Hamilton County, the seat of Cincinnati, in the 2020 election, one of the seven Ohio counties that took from former President Donald Trump in that contest.

Ohio as a whole leaned Trump 53.3% to 45.2%.

• Trump kicks off revenge tour with eyes on Ohio Republican

The president has toured the country in recent months selling his infrastructure proposal, often visiting Midwestern cities in states and districts that will play a key role in the 2022 and 2024 elections. The president has flocked to these areas to promote his "Blue Collar Blueprint for America", trying to reach voters who may have chosen Trump in previous elections but have traditionally voted Democrats.

A CNN spokesperson said that the forum will have an invitation audience and that the network will follow all local and state covid-19 guidelines and regulations to ensure a safe event.

The forum will be held at Mount St. Joseph University.

The hour-long event will be streamed live on CNN.com's home page and on mobile devices through CNN's iOS and Android apps with access to its cable provider.

It can also be viewed on CNNgo (at CNN.com/go on your PC, smartphone, and iPad, and through the CNNgo apps for Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, Chromecast, Roku, and Samsung Smart TV).

The special will also be available on demand to subscribers through cable / satellite systems, CNNgo platforms, and CNN's mobile apps.

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