Trump trials present unique challenge, opportunity for Biden campaign
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[August 28, 2023]
By Jarrett Renshaw
(Reuters) - A barrage of state and federal criminal charges leveled
against your main political rival should be good news for any democratic
leader facing reelection, but Donald Trump's legal woes present U.S.
President Joe Biden with a unique challenge in the months ahead,
political strategists say.
Biden has so far remained mum as his Republican predecessor was charged
with 91 felony counts in four indictments this year related to paying
hush money to a porn star, unlawfully keeping classified documents and
attempting to overturn the 2020 election. Don't expect any change, Biden
advisers say, until after decisions are handed down in those trials.
However, sustaining that strategy, during the most contentious and
consequential judicial actions in U.S. presidential history, will be
severely tested in the coming months, political strategists say.
Expect Trump to use a series of criminal trials from New York City to
Georgia and Florida in the months ahead to fuel a campaign deeply rooted
in grievance politics. Biden has sought to use a routine schedule of
presidential events - promoting the economy and infrastructure
investments - to draw a contrast with Trump's chaotic legal woes.
The trials, some carried live on television, are likely to dominate news
cycles, providing Trump an unorthodox platform to rally supporters who
have put him at the top of the Republican primary field and believe the
former president is being politically persecuted, despite the evidence.
Biden’s less dramatic reelection efforts will likely draw less valuable
free air time, and any effort to provide some counterprogramming will be
complicated by the Democratic president's decision to not wade into the
charges or use them to frame the potential dangers to democracy posed by
Trump.
“It’s going to be very tricky and a real tough balancing act,” said
Jimmy Seagull, a Democratic strategist working on congressional races.
CONVICTION 'CHANGES EVERYTHING'
On the plus side for Democrats, the trials will keep the details of
Trump's unprecedented actions that led to the serious charges fresh in
voters' minds, giving Democrats and Biden an opportunity to provide a
sharp contrast.
And all bets are off if Trump is convicted on any of the charges,
officials say.
"A conviction changes everything. You will then see a more detailed,
forceful effort by the president to connect the crimes to a broader
threat to the nation," said a senior Democrat working on Biden's
campaign, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not
authorized to speak publicly.
Until then, any Biden comment would fuel unfounded Republican attacks
that the state and federal charges are politically motivated, and aides
believe his silence reinforces a central tenet of his campaign: a return
to normalcy.
"Anything he says or does could be perceived as putting a thumb on the
scale and...would be exploited by Trump and his team to the detriment of
the legal process. They don’t need to raise concerns. The news, perp
walks, court appearances and evidence that continues to emerge say it
all," said Karen Finney, a Democratic strategist.
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T-shirts and hats with an image
depicting the mugshot of former U.S. President Donald Trump are
pictured after being printed at the Y-Que printing store in Los
Angeles, California, U.S., August 26, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
The White House and the reelection campaign are content to use the
upcoming months - when Republicans are embroiled in a nasty
nominating race - to pitch Americans on the success of Biden's
economic policies, interviews show.
His public approval rating held steady at 40% in early August, with
concerns about the economy souring Americans' opinion of his
performance despite falling inflation, according to the latest
Reuters/Ipsos poll.
"Increasing the president's economic poll numbers requires lots of
time, repeating numbers and a lot of message discipline. We can
always go back to Trump," said a senior Democrat involved in the
reelection effort, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they
are not authorized to speak publicly.
Instead, the reelection campaign will try to draw attention to
differences between the two candidates, officials say.
On Thursday, as Trump was surrendering to Georgia authorities and
posing for an unprecedented mug shot, Biden's campaign account on
the X platform posted: "Apropos of nothing, I think today's a great
day to give to my campaign."
Asked Friday if he'd seen Trump's mug shot, Biden, who was emerging
from a Pilates class during his Lake Tahoe vacation, told reporters
"I did see it on television - handsome guy."
TRUSTED VOICE?
America’s other living presidents — Barack Obama, George W. Bush,
Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter — have also stayed mum, leaving the
country without a trusted voice of political and moral authority who
can lay out the seriousness of the charges against Trump.
Democratic former congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio recently launched a
national advocacy group called "We the People," aimed at organizing
voters who feel exhausted by partisan politics. He said there is an
alternative path for Biden that recognizes the historic moment in
America while preserving the integrity of the investigation.
“I’m sure their calculation is that everything gets politicized, but
I do think a firm statement just saying ‘Look, regardless of where
you stand on tax rate or government spending or education policy,
this is so far beyond that conversation. Any direct attempt to
undermine the United States of America is a slap in the face of
anyone who served the country. We’re better than that,'" Ryan said.
He said Biden could then refer to the statement when asked
repeatedly about the unfolding events in the coming months.
Biden could “be firm, be clear and be done," Ryan said.
(Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw; Editing and additional reporting by
Heather Timmons)
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