For the moment, the indicted ex-president is enjoying a lot of support, and his popularity among the Republican base is increasing.
(Photo: AP)
Washington No, no, and once again no. US President Joe Biden has repeatedly blocked questions about the Trump trial in the past few days. Officially, the White House justifies the reluctance to not want to interfere in ongoing investigations.
In fact, Biden would have nothing to gain by commenting. Donations to Trump are at a record high as the ex-president’s accusation of a “witch hunt” has angered his supporters.
Biden does not want to fuel the mood in this mixed situation – also because the consequences of the indictment or even an arrest (which has not yet taken place) are unpredictable. Finally, for the first time in American history, a sitting or former president is being prosecuted.
Violent protests are just as unlikely as a guilty verdict or the charges being dropped. The only thing that Biden’s advisers can reasonably control right now is that the president sticks to his day-to-day business.
With it he can show the Americans that he governs instead of standing in the courtroom. Summit trips and bridge inaugurations always look better than an appointment for fingerprinting.
Biden is powerless against Trump’s democracy poison
But at the same time, the indictment is no reason for euphoria for Biden. His presidency has been mixed, and the fact that he is likely to seek re-election is not all well received among Democrats.
Ironically, the self-proclaimed party of law and order carries a suspected criminal in a sedan chair through the US election campaign, while Trump was recently considered unregistered.
Doubts remain about his old age, and this uncertainty may have a greater impact on voter sentiment than Donald Trump’s legal wrangling.
Because the strategists are at odds as to whether the trial against the ex-president will increase or decrease his chances of being nominated by his party.
For now, Trump is enjoying a lot of support, and his popularity ratings among the Republican base are rising. Ironically, the self-proclaimed party of law and order carries a suspected criminal in a sedan chair through the US election campaign, while Trump was recently considered unregistered.
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If he is nominated as a candidate despite or because of the indictment, many experts emphasize that an election victory against Biden is almost impossible. But would it actually be? It is true that without the surprise effect of the 2016 “outsider candidate” Trump has little to do and that he has long since alienated the “majority makers” of independents and swing voters.
US politics is caught in a Trumpian loop, and Biden is pretty powerless against it.
However, it is also true that a large part of the US population finds a “rematch” by Biden against Trump to be extremely deterrent, which could affect voter turnout – and that would open all options again.
In the end, the criminal trial against Trump will probably play some role in the election campaign, but possibly not a central one. Over the years, Trump has proven that he can do whatever he wants: neither the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, nor two impeachments, nor lies in the pandemic have changed anything about hard-core support.
For Biden, Trump’s long-term presence is not good news. He took office in 2021 with a promise to bring peace to a troubled nation. This has hardly been successful, because once again Trump is making the headlines, as he has been for seven years now.
US politics is caught in a Trumpian loop, and Biden is pretty powerless against it. For now, there is little to suggest that Biden can benefit directly from the Republican chaos, and US camps remain at odds.
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