President Joe Biden is leveraging Donald Trump’s criminal conviction in a bold new campaign move ahead of their critical debate next week.
On Monday, the Biden campaign unveiled an ad targeting battleground states, branding the presumptive Republican nominee as a felon who prioritizes himself over the country. This marks a decisive shift among Democrats on whether to spotlight Trump’s legal troubles in the tight White House race.
The ad follows Trump’s efforts to gain support from Black Americans, a traditional Democratic base, despite his controversial history on race. The Republican Party continues to back Trump, despite his conviction and efforts to overturn the 2020 election, as they aim to reclaim the White House, Senate, and maintain the House.
Biden’s new ad emphasizes Trump’s guilty verdict in his hush money trial and a significant civil fraud case, contrasting it with Biden’s character. The ad features Trump’s mug shot with the narrator stating, “This election is between a convicted criminal who’s only out for himself and a president who is fighting for your family.” This represents the Biden campaign’s most explicit use of Trump’s legal issues in their messaging.
Mitch Landrieu, Biden campaign co-chair, elaborated on CNN’s “News Central”: “This ad is about showing the American people the core issue that will decide this campaign: wisdom, courage, character.”
Trump’s campaign dismissed the hush money trial as “election interference” and cited polls indicating his strength in swing states. Campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt wrote on X, “The contrast between President Trump’s strength and success versus Crooked Joe Biden’s weakness, failures, and dishonesty will be evident on the debate stage next week.”
Biden, who recently returned from a European trip to attend a fundraiser in Los Angeles, warned of the potential for more hardline conservative Supreme Court appointments if Trump is re-elected. Former President Barack Obama, speaking at the same fundraiser, criticized Republicans for supporting a candidate “convicted by a jury of his peers on 34 counts.”
Candidates Gear Up for First Presidential Debate
The upcoming presidential debate on June 27 on CNN could be a pivotal moment in a campaign that might see an ex-president challenge the incumbent who defeated him. Biden, 81, faces pressure to demonstrate his capability for another term amid voter concerns about his age, while Trump’s campaign seeks to portray Biden as mentally and physically unfit.
Trump’s mockery of Biden’s faculties could lower expectations for Biden’s performance, potentially making a strong showing more impactful, similar to his State of the Union address earlier this year. The debate, unusually early, provides Biden an opportunity to shift the dynamics of a largely stable race.
Details of the debate, announced by CNN, include a studio setting without a live audience, two commercial breaks, and restrictions on campaign staff interaction. Both candidates will appear at a uniform podium, with their positions determined by a coin flip. Microphones will be muted except during each candidate’s turn to speak.
Biden will prepare intensively at Camp David, with assistance from former chief of staff Ron Klain. Trump’s preparation involves policy forums with advisors, though he skipped GOP primary debates and often engages with friendly media.
Trump Aims to Erode Biden’s Black Voter Base
In a race likely decided by narrow margins in swing states, Trump is targeting Black voters to weaken Biden’s support. On Saturday, Trump launched his “Black Americans for Trump” coalition in Michigan, supported by prominent Black Republicans like Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Byron Donalds. Trump, in a Semafor interview, asserted, “I’m not racist,” emphasizing his friendships with Black individuals.
Speaking at a Black church in Detroit, Trump claimed, without basis, that Black workers fared better under his presidency than Biden’s. He also criticized Biden’s role in the 1990s crime bill that led to high Black incarceration rates. CNN exit polls in 2020 showed Trump winning about 10% of Black voters, but a recent New York Times/Siena College poll indicates he could win over 20% in battleground states, potentially swaying crucial states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
The Biden campaign countered Trump’s outreach by highlighting his controversial past, including his demand for the death penalty for the wrongly convicted Central Park Five and his racist campaign against Obama’s birthplace. Jasmine Harris, Biden campaign’s director of Black media, stated, “We haven’t forgotten Trump cozying up to white supremacists and demonizing Black communities for political gain.”
Biden Criticizes Supreme Court Under Trump
At a political fundraiser, Biden and Obama discussed the implications of a second Trump term, including the possibility of further conservative Supreme Court appointments. Biden, referencing controversial flags associated with Justice Samuel Alito’s wife, stated, “If he’s reelected, he’ll appoint two more flying flags upside down.” He described the current Supreme Court majority as unprecedentedly out of balance.
Historically, Republicans have centered presidential campaigns around the Supreme Court’s future. Biden’s remarks this weekend suggest Democrats are now keen to emphasize this issue as well.
