President Joe Biden has been finding ways to criticize his political rival, Donald Trump, without directly addressing his ongoing criminal trial. Despite not mentioning the trial, Biden has been making comments about Trump’s various business endeavors, including selling Trump Bibles and the stock prices of Truth Social. Rather than making jokes about the trial’s central focus on hush money payments to an adult film star, Biden has been focusing on policy speeches and campaign events as a means to needle Trump.
Campaign officials are aware that the Trump trial could dominate news coverage in the coming weeks, but Biden has been strategic in seeking moments to break through. He has made high-profile endorsements, spoken on important policy issues like abortion rights in Florida, and announced new investments in Syracuse, New York. Some allies of Biden acknowledge the challenge in competing for attention during the trial but believe that the contrast between him and Trump will still be evident to voters.
Former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, David Axelrod, believes that Biden should not involve himself in the details of Trump’s trial, but should focus on discussing substantive issues and contrasting his plans for the future with Trump’s focus on the past. Axelrod sees an opportunity for Biden to emphasize his dedication to the American people and leave the legal issues surrounding Trump to the courts.
While Biden’s campaign has been using the trial to provide contrasts between Biden and Trump, they have refrained from commenting directly on Trump’s legal issues. Biden’s campaign has highlighted the differences in their campaign strategies, with Trump’s actions being criticized for driving away voters. Despite getting personal with jabs about Trump’s business ventures and personal appearance, Biden has avoided directly engaging with Trump’s legal predicament.
Biden’s schedule has been focused on promoting his policies on clean energy, reproductive rights, and manufacturing in various states while Trump’s trial takes place. The campaign plans to maintain this schedule in the coming weeks, with Biden traveling to battleground states and championing his platforms. While the White House prefers to let the visual contrast of the split-screen between Biden’s activities and Trump’s trial speak for itself, the campaign has been actively sending out messages criticizing Trump’s absence from the campaign trail.
There is no formalized strategy within the White House or the campaign to use the trial developments for political advantage. Instead, staff members are watching the coverage unfold on television and using the time to recalibrate and plan for the months leading up to the November election. The campaign is focused on staying course with Biden’s current strategy of pounding the pavement while Trump remains embroiled in his legal issues, allowing the implicit contrast between the two candidates to be evident to the public.
