‘[It] “It just makes no sense for Biden to take the accusation into account,” said one source familiar with the White House’s thinking. ‘He has already said that he thought [there] ground for accusation, but he must focus on helping people in this crisis. ”
Several other people familiar with the White House’s thinking say the Biden team sees no positive outlook in Biden, or. His remarks will certainly not move voices on the Republican side, they say. Even the slightest remark about Trump during a press conference will erase anything else they do that day. Talking Trump would also signal to Americans that Biden is already leaning toward politics instead of figuring out how to get shots in people’s arms.
“The last thing Americans want to see now is the conversation from the podium,” Karen Finney, a former Hillary Clinton campaign adviser and Democratic strategist, said about the White House on indictment. ‘Part of what they’re trying to do here is to say’ this is a new day, this is a new government ‘. They are not going to use the White House and the tools of the presidency to practice politics. ”
Yet Biden’s public shrug after the indictment is a striking contrast to the Senate Democrats, who say the trial is necessary to hold Trump accountable for inciting the deadly January 6 riot in the Capitol. A Democratic senator told POLITICO the trial was necessary to expose Trump’s “really heinous criminal activities and criminal intent”.
But when Psaki was pressed on Monday about how Biden would approach the proceedings, she sidestepped or deviated, saying it was a matter for Congress to deal with. At one point, she said Biden had nothing new to say because he was no longer in the Senate, where the trial will be held Tuesday.
“He will not spend much time on the proceedings during this week,” Psaki said. “He will leave the pace and process and mechanics of the accusation to Congress members.”
Reporters presented Psaki on how Biden could tell CBS News that Trump was too unstable to receive intelligence but did not consider whether he had the ability to run for office again – which could be the end result of a Senate -conviction can be.
“Well, he met him because he felt he was unfit for office and he defeated him, and therefore he is no longer president – Trump is no longer president of the United States,” Psaki said. ‘So I think his view of the former president is pretty clear. But he is going to leave it to the Senate to preside over these indictments. ”
Biden World’s determination not to get caught up in Trump’s distraction is reminiscent of the strategy they used in the campaign. It was one aimed at sticking to the core message, avoiding the Twitter conversation and resisting accepting calls about the attitude and temperament of leftists.
Even during Trump’s first indictment, Biden was among the last of an outspoken Democratic campaign to conduct an investigation, despite being himself central to the issue. Trump was then scrutinized for pressuring Ukraine’s president to investigate Biden’s political involvement and his son Hunter’s business dealings in that country.
Another external adviser said that Biden had the risks associated with a current president considering the actions of a former president, and that he felt cautious about exacerbating political divisions. “Biden is still an institutionalist,” the adviser said, noting that the president would probably ask, “If it says anything, is it going to make the country even more horrible?” ”
Republicans brought out the latest indictment as a worthless political exercise, as Democrats did not have the votes to convict. They also plan to argue on Tuesday that it is unconstitutional to accuse a former president.
With the predetermined outcome, Finney argued that should Biden Trump’s accusation hype, only run the risk of creating unnecessary political waves with the segment of America still supporting the former president.
“It acknowledges that there are people who are still in various stages of grief over Trump,” she said of Biden’s self-control over speaking out about accusation politics. Finney said Biden could better send a different message to voters: “Many people who may have voted for Trump and are in red states are also trying to save their lives.”