He’ll trash talk but won’t debate Trump.
President Joe Biden launched into a series of events in Pennsylvania with gusto, taking jabs at his rival, Donald Trump, from his hometown of Scranton. Biden criticized Trump’s past tax plan for favoring billionaires and mocked his handling of Social Security. He playfully commented on Trump’s financial woes and lambasted his management of the federal debt. Despite Trump facing a criminal trial in New York City, Biden refrained from directly addressing the legal proceedings, sticking to his practice of avoiding specific talk about Trump’s legal issues.
While Biden’s campaign capitalized on memes and news releases related to Trump’s trial, poking fun at his courtroom behavior and past controversies, they steered clear of directly commenting on the charges against him. The White House also evaded questions regarding Biden’s awareness of Trump’s courtroom happenings, emphasizing his itinerary in Pennsylvania instead. There’s a delicate balance for Biden in not appearing too closely associated with criticism of Trump’s legal troubles, as Trump has framed the charges against him as political persecution.
Biden’s campaign focused on broader messages, using references to Stormy Daniels to highlight issues like abortion. They also didn’t shy away from highlighting Trump’s gaffes, such as allegedly falling asleep in court. Despite the temptation to engage further with Trump’s legal challenges, Biden’s campaign maintained its focus on promoting Biden’s positive vision for America.
Amidst his snarky comments about Trump, Biden also outlined his tax plan during his Pennsylvania tour, emphasizing tax fairness for all Americans and measures to benefit the middle and working class. Despite the digs at Trump, Biden’s remarks elicited applause and laughter from supporters. As Biden continues his tour across Pennsylvania, his campaign remains focused on laying out his platform and contrasting it with Trump’s record.
