GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro's growth is among the reasons President Joe Biden will visit the city Thursday.
Thousands of jobs are coming to the area. Toyota is building an electric battery plant at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite, bringing back manufacturing jobs.
Boom Supersonic, building its first plant at PTI, takes aim at new technology and expands on the tradition of "First in Flight."
It sounds obvious, but a visit to Greensboro is a visit to North Carolina. Popping up in purple states is key to campaigns down the road.
"Presidential visits to a medium-sized city like Greensboro are always a big deal," Jason Husser said.
Husser is a Political Science Professor at Elon University.
The White House said President Biden will meet with North Carolina A&T University students who are studying robotics and cybersecurity. He will also highlight the school's emphasis on engineering.
"We thought this was the perfect place to highlight some of the research and development taking place at our nation's universities and the important work being done there," Chris Meagher said.
Meagher is a White House Deputy Press Secretary. He said the President will also tout the Innovation Act, which, he said, would invest in research and development like that done at A&T.
Husser said it's deeper than that.
"It's also a meaningful symbol that Greensboro is doing the types of things that the administration was hoping to see happen in the economy," Husser said.
Husser expects the President to highlight local wins like Boom Supersonic and Toyota instead of national economic problems like rising prices.
"The president is hoping to be able to say his agenda is working despite many Americans feeling like the economy is not really where they wanted it to be when he came into the office," Husser said.
He said there is another political purpose with the Midterm elections approaching.
"North Carolina is really critical for President Biden's ability to maintain his party's influence in Washington," Husser said.
That could mean more political figures make their way to our state and even the Triad.