Live updates from Biden’s return to Syracuse: President departs on AF1 after ‘big-deal day’

Syracuse, NY -- President Joe Biden on Thursday made his second trip to Central New York in a year and a half to celebrate Micron’s plans to build a multibillion dollar semiconductor fab in Clay.

Biden’s administration recently announced a $6.1 billion grant and a $7.5 billion loan from the federal CHIPS program to build the fab here and a smaller one in Boise, Idaho, where Micron is based. The subsidies were long expected: the president came in October 2022 to tout federal incentives as key to Micron’s plans here.

Micron says it could employ up to 9,000 people at an average salary of $100,000 per year. The $100 billion development could create 40,000 spinoff jobs.

President takes off from Hancock after 4-hour visit

Biden’s limo left Armory Square at 4:17 p.m., more than an hour behind schedule. Interstate 81 closed again as the President made his way back to Hancock Air National Guard base to Air Force One.

The president’s departure was apparently delayed by a private meeting he had with families of two slain Syracuse-area police officers at the museum following his Micron speech. A sheriff’s office spokesman confirmed that Biden met with families of both city Officer Michael Jensen and sheriff’s Lt. Michael Hoosock.

Biden’s motorcade arrived at Hancock at 4:26 p.m. Biden boarded Air Force One at 4:30 p.m. and took off 16 minutes later. He was on the ground in Syracuse for just under four hours.

Biden: ‘It’s good to be back’

Joe Biden celebrates historic Micron deal in Syracuse while mourning slain officers

Biden spoke for about 15 minutes to a standing-room only crowd at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology, in Armory Square. He started his remarks at 2:39 p.m., extolling Micron’s planned development, reminiscing briefly about his first wife, who hailed from Skaneateles, and taking shots at two local Republicans in Congress who did not attend the event.

Biden chided U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams for calling the CHIPS Act that’s fueling Micron’s plans “corporate welfare.” He noted that U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik called it “Washington at its worst.”

“I guess they’re not going to be here to celebrate,” Biden told the crowd.

The president early on mentioned his personal ties to Syracuse: he graduated Syracuse University’s College of Law and met his first wife here.

“It’s good to be back in Syracuse,” he said. “I fell in love with this place, but I fell in love with a girl before I did that.” And like a lot of former residents, Biden -- like he did in 2022 -- hasn’t gotten used to the Dome’s new name.

In speaking of the size of Micron’s planned project, Biden noted: “It’s big enough to fit four Carrier Domes inside and still have space left over.”

He ended on an upbeat note about the area’s future.

“We just have to remember who we are, for God’s sake. We’re the United States of America,” Biden said. “And there’s nothing, nothing nothing beyond our capacity to get done. When we work together.”

“This is a big-deal day,” he concluded. “Congratulations, Syracuse!”

The President was introduced by Shanon Thomas, an apprentice at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 43 who grew up on Syracuse’s South Side.

“I am so hopeful for my hometown that this is happening,” Thomas said. “Thanks to Joe Biden, advanced manufacturing jobs are coming back to America. Not only are they coming back to America, they are coming right to our hometown.”

It’s a small world

Representing Micron’s home base of Boise, Idaho at the MOST were Gov. Brad Little and Boise Mayor Lauren McLean. Micron was founded in Boise in 1978 and still has its headquarters and research and development operations there.

Coincidentally, McLean spent her high school years in Syracuse.

Micron has pledged to expand operations in its home state while building the chip fab in Clay.

Standing-room only

The MOST museum’s biggest space couldn’t fit enough seats for Thursday’s presidential visit.

It was standing-room only in the traveling exhibit space, left of the main entrance, as Gov. Kathy Hochul, County Executive Ryan McMahon and U.S. Senator Charles Schumer addressed the energetic crowd.

“More than $100 billion in Upstate New York,” Schumer said. “Folks this is the largest single project investment in all of New York state history and one of the largest in our nation’s history. Is that not great?”

Speakers began before 2 p.m. and were still hyping up the crowd about 30 minutes later. Micron’s CEO Sanjay Mehrotra took the stage shortly before 2:20 p.m.

“Today we are celebrating an investment in America’s future and an investment in jobs. an investment in national and economic security, an investment to insure leadership in memory semiconductor technology and manufacturing,” Mehrotra said.

Biden is expected to address the crowd last.

Visit with families of slain officers

The president has planned a visit with the families of both Syracuse-area police officers who were killed April 14 in the line of duty while investigating a suspicious vehicle complaint in Salina, syracuse.com has learned.

Sheriff’s Lt. Michael Hoosock and Syracuse police Officer Michael Jensen were both killed in a shootout with a gunman on Darien Drive.

Biden started his speech by expressing his sympathy for the officers’ survivors, noting his own personal tragedy: the deaths of his first wife, Neilia, and their 1-year-old daughter, Naomi in a car crash that also injured his two sons.

“We pray for their loved ones whose hearts have been broken,” he said. “You know, every time a police officer puts on that shield every morning, their husband or wife or (children) worries about when they get that phone call. We get that phone call. I got one of those phone calls in different circumstance.”

Before Biden spoke, Gov. Kathy Hochul led a moment of silence in honor of the two slain officers while introducing the president to the crowd at the MOST museum.

Following her, County Executive Ryan McMahon also paid homage to the fallen officers.

“They were superheroes in our community,” McMahon said. “These were people who loved their families, who loved their brothers and sisters in law enforcement and who loved their community. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for this community.”

Biden is expected to speak last after a series of introductions from Hochul, McMahon, Schumer and Micron officials.

President tours Micron exhibit at MOST

Biden spent about 15 minutes before his public speech Thursday touring the $500,000 Micron exhibit at the Armory Square museum.

The company bankrolled the exhibit called “Deconstructed: Semiconductors and Other Secrets Inside Everyday Technology.” The exhibit includes a pizza-sized silicon disk, similar to the ones that will be raw material for Micron’s chip making plant 10 miles north of here.

The MOST opened in 1981 in the former Syracuse Armory building, which gave the name to the surrounding business district, Armory Square.

Biden spent time standing before the scale model of Micron’s planned Clay project. He heard a rundown of the project from Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and Manish Bhatia, executive vice president, Global Operations.

“It’s going to have a gigantic impact,” Biden told reporters of the economic impact from the investment.

April Arzen, Micron’s chief people officer, told Biden about the company’s plans to hire workers for the fabs. Half of the jobs, she said, will not require four-year degrees. She also said the company had hired 26 students in the region to do internships this summer at Micron facilities in Boise and Manassas, Virginia.

“You’re preaching to the choir. My wife is teaching today at community college,” Biden told Arzen.

Arnzen, at the prompting of Gov. Kathy Hochul, also discussed the company’s plans to build a child care center less than a mile from the plant.

Biden reaches Armory Square to find protesters, supporters

Biden’s motorcade arrived in Armory Square at 1:09 p.m.

About 300 people awaited his arrival. Roughly 100 pro-Palestinian protesters shouted slogans like “Cease fire!” and “Genocide Joe go home!” as the motorcade pulled up.

They were joined by a hodge-podge of Biden supporters, curious onlookers and about a dozen Trump supporters. The crowd ran about three people deep in front of the museum and down Franklin Street toward Walton.

Awaiting Biden inside the MOST:

Assemblyman Al Stirpe (D-Syracuse)

Hope Knight, CEO of Empire State Development, the state’s development agency

Dom Robinson, a senior vice president at CenterState CEO

Joe Rossi, Albany lobbyist

Warren Hilton, president of Onondaga Community College

Randy Wolken, president of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York

Kent Syverud, Syracuse University chancellor

Biden lands in Syracuse

1/19

Biden gave Gov. Kathy Hochul a hug and a kiss on the forehead moments after disembarking from Air Force One at Hancock Air National Guard base. He first appeared at 12:48 p.m. wearing a blue and silver tie. No orange for the SU almunus.

Hochul was joined by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon in being among the first to greet the president. The president spoke to all three for 2 minutes, 45 seconds.

Also on the tarmac to greet the President were Major General Denise Donnell, Commander, New York Air National Guard and Colonel Brett Batick, Deputy Commander of the 174th Attack Wing, New York Air National Guard.

At 12:52 p.m., Biden got into a limo.

Protests, preparation underway in Armory Square

1/12

Dueling crowds gathered in Armory Square hours before the President was due to speak this afternoon at the MOST.

A pro-Palestinian group gathered after 11 a.m. to protest the Israeli war in Gaza. Up to 80 protestors shouted slogans and held Palestinian flags while criticizing Biden’s foreign policy. One man banged a skateboard on the sidewalk to keep the beat as the crowd chanted “Hey, hey, ho, ho, the occupation has got to go!”

Meanwhile, onlookers and invited guests began lining up outside the MOST for a view of the president. Some were supporters, while others simply wanted a piece of the action.

A couple of women showed up holding small “I’m ridin’ with Biden” signs.

There’s no traffic allowed in the area around the museum. Overnight, the city towed 13 cars that remained after a police order at 10 p.m. Wednesday banned parking on several streets around the museum.

By late morning, law enforcement swarmed the area in preparation. A bomb-sniffing dog came through Thursday morning. An official stood on the MOST roof, using binoculars to survey the crowd. A large city of Syracuse flatbed trailer blocked off the intersection of South Clinton and West Jefferson streets.

Meanwhile, at 11:41 a.m., Air Force One just began its taxi out to the runway at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The president landed in Syracuse shortly after 12:30 p.m. That puts him on schedule to disembark around 12:40 p.m.

Who’s not coming

Several notable politicians will not be attending Biden’s Thursday appearance at the MOST:

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh is traveling and unable to attend, according to a spokesman.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. also won’t be at the speech. She has a prior commitment in New York City, the senator’s spokesperson said.

Rep. Brandon Williams, R-Sennett, will not attend out of principle because he believes the visit is too soon after two local police officers were slain in the line of duty April 14, a spokesperson said.

Biden’s last visit

Biden has a long history of ties to Syracuse and Central New York.

Biden, a graduate of SU’s College of Law, married his first wife, Neilia Hunter, an Auburn, N.Y., native and a Syracuse University homecoming queen, in 1966. The couple lived on Stinard Avenue in Syracuse while Biden attended SU’s law school and she taught at the old Bellevue Heights School in the city.

Neilia and the couple’s infant daughter, Naomi, would later die in an automobile accident in Delaware.

Biden maintained his ties to Syracuse throughout his political career as he served 36 years as a U.S. senator from Delaware and two terms as VP under President Barack Obama. He returned to visit his late wife’s family or Syracuse University dozens of times, gave commencement addresses and other speeches five times at SU, and his late son Beau Biden also graduated from Syracuse’s law school.

Biden last came to Syracuse for a personal visit in February 2023 following the death of his brother-in-law in Auburn.

The president’s last Micron-related visit in October 2022 took him to SRC Arena on the campus of Onondaga Community College.

That visit came less than two weeks before the midterm elections. This visit comes as Biden seeks reelection as president in November.

Staff reports by Steve Featherstone, Jon Moss, Don Cazentre, Glenn Coin, Mark Weiner and Darian Stevenson.