‘Just say nothing’: Democrats advise Biden to keep mum on Trump’s legal woes
by Hanna Trudo and Alex Gangitano - 07/27/23 6:00 AM ETPresident Biden’s campaign is betting on a repeat of 2020, when he beat then-incumbent President Trump. But 2024 will come with new and unprecedented challenges for candidate Biden, namely his predecessor’s mounting legal troubles.
For Biden, it will mean navigating the idea that his administration’s Justice Department (DOJ) is prosecuting his chief political opponent — despite trying to stay as far away from appearing to interfere with multiple probes.
That hasn’t stopped Trump and his allies from constantly accusing Biden of “weaponizing” the DOJ and FBI. But Democrats say the less Biden engages, the better, even if it means pulling some punches early on.
“The best bet for the Biden administration is to play it by the book rather than craft a strategy to deal with the legal cases,” said Ivan Zapien, a former Democratic National Committee official. “He should handle it the same way you would hug a porcupine — carefully.”
Both the Biden campaign and White House have steered clear of addressing Trump’s indictments and other legal entanglements. They have instead criticized Trump for promoting the so-called MAGA culture wars and policies that they say are extreme and hypocritical.
Biden has gone after his predecessor in speeches and public remarks but tends to do so based on his policy stances, which Democrats say is wise at this stage.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4121395-just-say-nothing-democrats-advise-biden-to-keep-mum-on-trumps-legal-woes/
