Biden Visits Crystal Lake; Trump Supporters Rally Outside MCC

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — President Joe Biden made his first presidential trip to Illinois on Wednesday, stopping at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, where he toured the campus and touted incentives for working families with children and a program that would offer two free years of community college for Americans.

The visit was the first time a sitting president has ever stopped in Crystal Lake — a town in Chicago's far northwest suburbs with a population of about 38,000. The city was the only Chicago-area suburb that picked Donald Trump over Biden in the November election.

Meanwhile, crowds of Trump supporters gathered outside MCC during Biden’s visit. They held signs reading “Joe Biden Sucks” and “MAGA Country.” Other demonstrators held anti-abortion signs.

Biden spoke on his Build Back Better agenda, a 30-minute speech that he referred to as a "boring but important speech" that focused on increasing cost-effective educational opportunities and child care opportunities to help grow the economy and support the working poor. He touted his bipartisan infrastructure deal and a broader package that he expects will be passed with only Democratic votes.

As part of his plan, two years universal preschool would be offered as would two years of free community college. He also spoke on the need for affordable child care.

"As a single father when I first got to the Senate, I had two young boys who'd just lost their mother and sister in an automobile accident. If I didn't have the family I have, my sister, my best friend, my mother and my brother to help out, I couldn't have done it," Biden said. "But not everyone has that kind of support."

He went on to praise McHenry County College's child care center, which he toured that day. He spoke on his plan to offer a tax credit to businesses that add similar on-site child care centers.

"It's an amazing resource," said Biden, referring to MCC's child care center. "Students and faculty can have their children cared for. Students can earn their associates degrees in early childhood education as well. High quality childcare options should be the rule not the exception."

Several local police departments assisted on the campus and monitored the crowd.

Biden arrived at O'Hare International Airport Wednesday morning before heading to McHenry County College.

Early in the afternoon, Biden got to the college, where he toured the campus and spoke about his Build Back Better agenda, which is touted to benefit working families.

The address can be watched via livestream.

Biden pushed for "generational investments in human infrastructure" and talked about how his economic proposals could help students and teachers. He also touted a second economic proposal, the American Families Plan.

"As a former single father, the President will stress his plan to boost child care affordability, by building new child care centers and ensuring that no middle class family pays more than 7 percent of their income for high-quality care for children up to age 5 — and that working families in the most need won't need to pay at all," according to a White House official.

McHenry County College has a child care center and workforce development center.

Crystal Lake had been prepping for the president's arrival since learning over the weekend he would be coming to town, Mayor Haig Haleblian said Tuesday.

Haleblian was expected to be among the attendees at the event at McHenry County College.

"I'm ecstatic," Haleblian said Tuesday. "I mean, it's the first time a sitting president has ever been to Crystal Lake."

Haleblian, the owner of Exceed Floor and Home for the past 34 years, said he was "very grateful and thankful" to represent Crystal Lake at the event. If he gets the chance to speak with Biden, he says he'll highlight how important small businesses in a town the size of Crystal Lake are for the economy, especially, post-COVID-19.

"I'd like to just remind him not to forget about the small businesses," said Haleblian, adding federal and state programs have helped keep many afloat. He said that while business in town has been strong, many restaurants and stores continue to struggle to hire employees.

"I think overall, the state of the economy (in Crystal Lake) is very strong and vibrant," Haleblian said. "All you have to do is walk into a store or restaurant here, business is brisk. "

The Crystal Lake fire and police departments have been working with the White House and Secret Service to assist in security and safety measures as Biden makes his trip into town.

The McHenry County Sheriff's Office also assisted at the scene and blocked off the intersection of Terra Cotta Avenue and Route 31. Outside the MCC campus, the intersection of Lucas Road and Route 31 was blocked off, and cars parked for nearly a mile down Lucas Road from the campus as Trump and Biden supporters made the long walk in the heat to hold signs or catch a glimpse of the president.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker also was in attendance at Wednesday's event, Jordan Abudayyeh, press secretary for the governor's office, told Patch.

The Democratic Party of McHenry County announced the visit via Twitter on Monday, adding that Biden was expected to talk about the benefits of his American Families Plan during his Crystal Lake stop.

"We are thrilled and proud that President Biden has chosen our community as his first visit to Illinois as President," said Kristina Zahorik, chair of the Democratic Party of McHenry County. "We are excited the President is highlighting our great Community College and thank him and our Illinois Democratic Delegation for supporting building back better with investments in the American Rescue Plan, the American Infrastructure Plan, and the American Family Plan."

Biden's American Family Plan, if passed, would provide two years of free community college to Americans and universal, "high quality" preschool to all 3- and 4-year-old children. The plan is meant to provide incentives for families and children and provides $1.8 trillion in investments and $800 billion in tax cuts for American families.

The Illinois visit was the president's third stop in the Midwest in recent days as he travels the country and rallies for support of a bipartisan infrastructure plan and policies that would affect families and education.

On Saturday, Biden visited a cherry farm near Traverse City, Michigan, where he spoke about his immigration plans. Last week, he was in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he visited the town's public transit center and touted the economic benefits of his $973 billion infrastructure package — which still faces an uncertain future in Congress.

McHenry County is the only Chicago-area county that picked Donald Trump for president during the November election. Biden received 78,153 votes in McHenry County during the last presidential election and Trump had 82,257 votes.

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The Associated Press contributed to this article.