U.S. President Joe Biden flew to Syracuse on Thursday and after speaking with some of New York’s most recognizable politicians, traveled to the SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College to boast a $100B Micron project and praise its investment in CNY.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)– Thursday, Oct. 27 marked a monumental day in Central New York as US President Joe Biden visited Syracuse.
Biden visited Central New York to discuss the enormous Micron Tech project that will result with the eventual construction of a Micron plant in Clay, New York.
Joined by political colleagues and Micron officials, Biden gave a speech inside the SRC Arena on the campus of Onondaga Community College in Syracuse.
Massive lines of people waiting to enter the arena throughout the morning were evident, but most lines slowed down by the early afternoon.
Inside the SRC Arena, as the day went on, the building went from calm to boisterous. By the early afternoon, the bleachers were completely filled, as tons of Central New Yorkers showed up excited and ready to listen to the president.
Several local figures attended Biden’s speech on Thursday. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon made an appearance, and he received a shoutout from Biden during the ceremony.
For the majority of the day, the OCC campus was quiet. In the morning and early afternoon, there was plenty of caution tape and federal personnel around the exterior of the arena, but not an overwhelming amount of security.
OCC students were given the day-off on Thursday, and perhaps the day-off led to no unmanageable traffic.
Biden’s plane landed at the Hancock International Airport in Syracuse a little after 2:00 p.m. After landing, he spoke with Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on the runway.
The conversation between the politicians lasted for approximately five minutes. Usually, Biden goes straight from his plane to a car, but Thursday marked a different story.
U.S. Rep. John Katko was on the plane to Syracuse with Biden. Katko was one of the few republicans who voted in favor of the CHIPS Plus Act , which helped fund the enormous Micron project in Clay.
The presidential motorcade arrived outside the SRC Arena at 2:45 p.m.
Several motorcycles, SUVs, sheriff cars, ambulances and other vehicles made up the motorcade. Upon arrival at the arena, the lights on almost all of the motorcade vehicles were flashing, but their sirens were not on.
Everyone in the motorcade, including Biden, entered the arena before 3:00 p.m.
Throughout Biden’s speech, he shared his high hopes for the American economy and praised Micron for investing in Central New York.
Transcript
MATT FAIRFAX: LIVE FROM SRC ARENA AT ONONDAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
TODAY IS A MONUMENTAL DAY. U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IS IN CENTRAL NEW YORK.
BIDEN IS VISITING CNY TO DISCUSS THE ENORMOUS PROJECT THAT WILL RESULT IN THE EVENTUAL CONSTRUCTION OF A MICRON PLANT IN CLAY.
MASSIVE LINE WHEN WE FIRST SHOWED UP, BUT CALM NOW.
INSIDE THE SRC ARENA, IT’S A PACKED HOUSE. STANDING ROOM ONLY. LOTS OF EXCITEMENT.
ONONDAGA COUNTY EXECUTIVE RYAN MCMAHON AND SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR KENT SYVERUD ARE HERE.
OCC CAMPUS IS QUIE. NOT AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF SECURITY. OCC STUDENTS WERE GIVEN THE DAY OFF.
TRAFFIC WAS NOT BAD ON CAMPUS.
AIR FORCE 1 TOUCHDOWN AT HANCOCK AIRPORT WAS PUSHED BACK TO 2:05. BIDEN LANDED AROUND 2. HE SPOKE TO SEN. MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER, NEW YORK GOV. KATHY HOCHUL AND SYRACUSE MAYOR BEN WALSH ON THE TARMAC AT HANCOCK. SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND WAS ALSO THERE AS WELL.
GILLIBRAND, SCHUMER, AND HOCHUL TALKED WITH BIDEN FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. USUALLY BIDEN GOES STRAIGHT FROM THE PLANE TO THE CAR.
REPRESENTATIVE JOHN KATKO WAS ON THE PLANE WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN. KATKO WAS ONE OF THE FEW REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED FOR THE CHIPS BILL, WHICH ESSENTIALLY FUNDED THE MICRON PROJECT IN CLAY.
ABOUT 2:45 P.M., THE PRESIDENTIAL MOTORCADE ARRIVED OUTSIDE THE SRC ARENA.
SEVERAL MOTORCYCLES, SUVS, SHERIFF CARS, AMBULANCES AND OTHER VEHICLES WERE PART OF THE MOTORCADE. LIGHTS WERE FLASHING, BUT NO SIRENS.
EVERYONE FROM THE MOTORCADE MADE IT INTO THE ARENA AT ABOUT 2:50 P.M.
WE HAVE NCC NEWS CAMERAS INSIDE THE ARENA TRACKING EVERYTHING BIDEN AND MICRON YOU NEED TO KNOW.
MATT FAIRFAX: ARJUN, GANNON, BACK TO YOU GUYS.