During a flight to Columbia, South Carolina for a political event on Friday, President Joe Biden faced a poignant confrontation about the ongoing crisis in Gaza. A woman approached the President while he was seated in first class, expressing gratitude for the chance to speak with him.
The woman, with noticeable urgency, informed Biden, “Children in Gaza are dying every day.” She began to urge for action, but an aide quickly intervened, halting the conversation.
The 83-year-old President appeared taken aback by the encounter, responding with, “I know that,” before pausing and redirecting his gaze forward. The woman was then guided away by the staff.
This exchange was documented by Meg Kinnard of the Associated Press, who was also onboard the flight. Her video captures the brief but intense interaction.
‘I know that,’ he answered. ‘I know that …,’ he continued before cutting himself off and looking straight ahead, as the woman was beckoned away.
The video was captured by the AP’s Meg Kinnard, who was also traveling on Biden’s flight.
Others were more excited to see the former President, as he posed for selfies outside the gate and greeted passengers on the plane and at both airports.
The Gaza war was a major sticking point among Democrats during the 2024 race – with the then President stuck between a major protest movement among young people, who tended to vote Democratic, and Biden administration’s historic support for Israel.
Former President Joe Biden (left) talks with his seatmate (right) on a flight to Columbia, South Carolina on Friday departing from onald Reagan Washington National Airport. Biden was briefly confronted by another passenger over the war in Gaza
The South Carolina Democratic Party has President Joe Biden headlining an event Friday night at 7 p.m. in Columbia, South Carolina. Biden flew commercial to Columbia Friday morning when he was confronted over the war in Gaza
That division contributed to the loss of eventual Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden at the top of the ticket in July 2024.
Polling conducted by the Institute for Middle East Understanding’s Policy Project in January 2025 showed that 29 percent of the voters who had cast a ballot for Biden in 2020 went elsewhere in 2024 because ‘ending Israel’s violence in Gaza’ was their top issue.
The Gaza issue was the top issue polled for the reason why voters drifted away from the Democratic pick, the survey showed.
Now, out of power, Biden is picking lesser battles.
He was traveling to Columbia on Friday in what appeared to be a push to keep South Carolina as the Democrats’ first-in-the-nation primary during the 2028 presidential cycle.
The former President is headlining a 7 p.m. reception, billed to celebrate his primary win in the Palmetto State six years ago.
Besides South Carolina, 11 other states are vying for the honor as the Democratic National Committee looks to mix up the early stages of the next presidential race.
The DNC kicked off the process in October explaining that the goal was to get the ‘strongest possible Democratic nominee for president through a fair, rigorous, and efficient process,’ according to DNC Chair Ken Martin.
South Carolina, as well as Biden’s home state of Delaware, next door neighbor North Carolina – in a bid being pushed by Biden’s former Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates – Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Tennessee and Virginia all submitted bids.
President Joe Biden poses for a selfie as a swarm of onlookers stand around him at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Friday morning in Washington, DC. Biden was on a flight to Columbia, South Carolina
Former President Joe Biden takes a selfie with a passenger Friday morning as he awaited his flight to Columbia, South Carolina at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Biden is lobbying to keep South Carolina the first state to hold a Democratic primary in 2028
Former President Joe Biden takes another selfie with a passenger at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport before traveling to Columbia, South Carolina to celebrate the anniversary of his 2020 primary win in the Palmetto state
As did Iowa and New Hampshire, states that have traditionally held the first caucus and then primary.
With the help of Biden’s lobbying, South Carolina was chosen to host the first Democratic primary in 2024 over Iowa and New Hampshire.
Biden’s dominant performance in the first southern primary – thanks to a key endorsement from Representative Jim Clyburn, then the highest-ranking black Democrat in Congress – put him on the glide path to clinch the Democratic nomination in 2020.
The push to elevate South Carolina in 2024 was intended to wave off any Biden challengers, as the President was facing negative polling regarding his advanced age.
Only Representative Dean Phillips and self-help guru Marianne Williamson ended up entering the 2024 Democratic race.
Many Democrats now believe the party’s fate would have been better had Biden dropped out of the race sooner or allowed for primary challengers, as Harris lost all seven swing states to President Donald Trump.
