When did American presidents last visit Austin?
President Joe Biden will visit Austin and deliver remarks July 15 at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, the White House Press Office confirmed Sunday.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — President Joe Biden will visit Austin and deliver remarks July 15 at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, the White House Press Office confirmed Sunday.
Biden's trip to the Texas capital comes in the thick of campaign season and is scheduled on the same day as the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The RNC is expected to officially nominate former President Donald Trump as the party's presidential candidate, mirroring the same top ticket candidates from the 2020 presidential race.
Biden's impending visit isn't the first time either presumptive nominees have visited Austin. Here's a look back at some of the most recent presidential visits in the capital city.
May 2022: Former President Donald Trump stops in Austin on the American Freedom Tour
Trump spoke at the Austin Convention Center May 14, 2022, during an all-day event as part of the American Freedom Tour. Fellow guests at the event included Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Mike Pompeo, Dines D'Souza and Mark Lamb.
The Downtown Austin Alliance had cautioned residents of downtown traffic congestion and delays surrounding the event, while the Austin Police Department told KXAN at the time it would work to ensure "appropriate" staffing levels to supplement Trump's Secret Service protection.
November 2019: Then-President Donald Trump tours Apple manufacturing facility in northwest Austin
Trump joined Apple's CEO Tim Cook for a visit to the company's northwest Austin manufacturing facility. The visit came nearly a year after the tech giant announced its expanded Austin footprint courtesy of a planned $1 billion, 133-acre campus.
During Trump's visit, he and Cook discussed product assembly in the Texas capital — most notably the Mac Pro, a desktop computer noted for its high-capacity computing power.
The visit drew protests from local group Indivisible Austin, as well as a roundtable discussion between the Texas Democratic Party, Texas AFL-CIO and local democratic officials elected at the time to aid in "exposing Trump's failed economic record."
September 2016: Then-Vice President Joe Biden speaks at Austin campaign event
While still vice president at the time, Biden made an appearance in the heart of the Lone Star State in mid-September 2016, speaking at a private Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee event. He delivered those remarks at a private residence that was closed to both the media and public.
Biden's stop in Austin came shortly after a trip from then-vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine, who visited the Democratic Party headquarters in east Austin.
“Texas is critically important. We always look at Texas in the Democratic party. When I was democratic party chair the first meeting we did we brought it to Austin. We’re going to go after Texas. It’s big. It’s complicated and it’s hard, but we’re serious,” then-Sen. Kaine said at the Aug. 9, 2016, event.
March 2016: Then-President Barack Obama dines at Torchy's Tacos in Austin
Guests at the Torchy's Tacos at El Paso and South First streets got the presidential treatment on March 11, 2016, courtesy of a visit from then-President Barack Obama.
His impromptu lunch stop came amid Obama's planned visit to Austin for a keynote conversation at the 2016 South by Southwest Conference & Festivals. His SXSW marked Obama's seventh trip to Austin at that time.
July 2014: Then-President Barack Obama skips the line before dining at Franklin Barbecue
It's a dream most Austinites wish could become their reality: skipping the line and dining right away at Franklin Barbecue.
That dream became a reality for Obama, whose July 2014 visit to Austin included meeting with Austin letter writer Kinsey Button for coffee at Magnolia Cafe, delivering a speech at the Paramount Theatre downtown and topping the trip off with plenty of lunchtime barbecue, as detailed in the Obama Administration's archives.