Biden’s Silent Strategy Amid Trump’s Legal Woes
As former President Donald Trump faces a barrage of state and federal criminal charges, President Joe Biden finds himself facing a unique challenge. Political strategists believe that Biden’s strategy of staying silent on Trump’s legal issues will be severely tested in the coming months, which are expected to be filled with contentious trials and intense news cycles dominated by Trump’s legal woes.
So far, Biden has refrained from commenting on Trump’s 91 felony counts across four indictments, including charges related to hush money payments to a porn star, unlawful retention of classified documents, and attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Biden’s advisers argue that they will maintain this strategy until the trials reach their conclusion.
However, Trump is likely to use these trials to fuel his campaign rooted in grievance politics. The trials, some of which will be televised, will dominate the news cycles and provide Trump with an unorthodox platform to rally his supporters. This could potentially impact Biden’s campaign, as his less dramatic reelection efforts will likely receive less valuable airtime, making it difficult to provide counterprogramming.
Biden has chosen not to wade into the charges or use them to frame the potential dangers to democracy posed by Trump. While this decision aligns with his campaign’s central tenet of a return to normalcy, it poses challenges when it comes to providing a balance between addressing the trials and focusing on Biden’s economic policies. Democratic strategists emphasize the need for a tough balancing act in navigating this situation.
On the plus side for Democrats, the trials will keep the details of Trump’s actions fresh in voters’ minds. If Trump is convicted on any of the charges, it would significantly change the dynamics. A senior Democrat working on Biden’s campaign noted that a conviction would prompt a forceful effort from the president to connect the crimes to a broader threat to the nation.
For now, Biden’s silence is seen as a strategy to prevent unfounded Republican attacks claiming that the charges are politically motivated. Aides argue that anything Biden says or does could potentially be exploited by Trump and his team, which could be detrimental to the legal process. Instead, the White House and the reelection campaign plan to focus on highlighting the success of Biden’s economic policies and capitalizing on the divisive Republican primary race.
It should be noted that not only Biden but also other living former presidents, including Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter, have chosen to stay silent on Trump’s legal issues. This leaves a void in terms of a trusted voice of political and moral authority to lay out the seriousness of the charges against Trump.
Democratic former congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio suggests an alternative path for Biden: making a strong, firm statement that recognizes the historic moment in America and the seriousness of the charges against Trump. Ryan believes that Biden could refer to this statement when asked repeatedly about the unfolding events in the coming months.
Overall, Biden’s silent strategy will be put to the test as Trump’s legal woes continue to dominate the headlines. The trials will play a significant role in shaping the narrative and could potentially impact Biden’s reelection efforts. Balancing the need to address the trials while focusing on promoting his own policies will be a challenging task for the president. Only time will tell how Biden’s approach unfolds in the face of Trump’s legal battles.
