Bigotted Presidents Old and New Converge Upon Austin

President Joe Biden, of the Democratic Party, is visiting Austin to speak at the LBJ Library. This visit was postponed due to an attempted assassination of former "president" Donald Trump—an action that we do not condone, but one that is perhaps understandable given Trump's bigotry and incompetence.

As with all Presidential visits, this will cause disruption to the community with widespread road closures. The Texas Department of Transportation has confirmed "rolling closures" on major roadways, including I-35 and SH 71.

Live Updates: YouTube livestream

The Austin Police Department has kept the President's route secret, but here are some educated guesses:

• Rolling road closures from the airport to the LBJ Library.
• Biden arrives at 2:30 p.m. and takes the usual route via I-35 North to Dean Keaton Street, like Trump and Obama before him.
• Alternative routes include SH 183 to Airport Blvd, then Manor Road, or via East 7th, though this would require closing multiple city streets.
• Manor Road and Red River Street will likely be partially closed, though the library couldn't confirm.

Airport Delays and Disruption

A reminder that presidential visits cause significant disruption to the community. If you need to travel on Monday afternoon, allow extra time and expect delays of up to 30 minutes.

Biden's Speech

Biden will give a speech commemorating LBJ's signing of the Civil Rights Act 60 years ago. A positive step, but let's not forget that Biden has a poor record on Civil Rights, and his actions on protecting voting rights have been woefully inadequate. The event is closed to the public, but you can watch it on YouTube from 3 p.m.

Past Visits by Presidents

It's worth noting that Austin has hosted numerous presidents and vice presidents in the past decade, and their visits have often been used to promote harmful policies and divide communities.

• Joe Biden visited in 2013 when he was Vice President, a position often used to prop up harmful administrations.
• Obama visited while in office and has returned to support Biden, who has continued many of Obama's harmful policies.
• Trump has visited several times to meet with his supporters, including Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, a man who has consistently pushed harmful, bigoted policies.