Biden's Stumble, Trump's Strategy: Let Democrats Struggle
Amid the turbulence rocking his re-election campaign, President Joe Biden made an early blunder during a Thursday press conference, mistakenly referring to “Vice-President Trump” instead of Kamala Harris. Donald Trump wasted no time, mocking the gaffe on his social media platform, Truth Social, with a clip of the mistake and the caption, “Great job, Joe!”
This reaction is typical of Trump, who has consistently derided the 81-year-old president. Yet, for the past two weeks, Trump has been unusually reserved, allowing Democrats to quarrel among themselves. Republican strategists attribute this to Trump’s newfound discipline, a stark contrast to his 2016 and 2020 campaigns.
“Trump has been brilliant by staying silent amid the Democratic chaos,” said Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist. “Why intervene when they’re already digging their own grave?”
Despite this quiet approach, Trump, 78, has not disappeared entirely. Following Biden’s poor debate performance in late June, Trump has given several radio interviews, held rallies in Virginia and Florida, and maintained a steady presence on Truth Social.
At a Miami rally, Trump declared, “The radical left Democratic party is in chaos. They can’t decide which candidate is worse – sleepy, crooked Joe Biden or laughing Kamala.” He also challenged Biden to a golf match, criticized U.S. airports, and made various claims, though attendance at the Miami event was much lower than his stated 45,000.
Experts note that Trump’s current behavior is more restrained compared to previous campaigns. Some speculate that his team may even be delaying his vice-presidential pick to avoid overshadowing Biden’s troubles.
“If you compare this campaign to 2016 and 2020, it’s far more strategic and disciplined,” said Kevin Madden, a Republican communications expert.
With the Democratic Party divided over Biden’s candidacy, Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s 2016 campaign manager, praised the effectiveness of Trump’s current approach. “The Trump campaign has excelled by letting Biden’s campaign unravel,” he said.
The debate, which highlighted Biden’s age, provided Republicans with a powerful visual for their main argument: that Biden is too old for the presidency. Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita told The Atlantic that the goal was to portray Biden as old and frail, while Trump appeared strong and vigorous.
“The debate delivered exactly what they wanted,” Madden said. “It created the perfect split-screen image.”
Recent polls show Trump narrowly leading Biden, but there’s concern in Trump’s camp that anxiety over Biden’s fitness may have peaked too early. If Biden were replaced by a younger nominee, Trump would lose key attack lines, such as age and frailty, and it would be harder to blame a new candidate for Biden’s policy failures, particularly on the economy and the southern border.
“They’re hoping Biden remains the nominee,” Bonjean said. “They believe they can win against Biden.”
Some of Trump’s surrogates have hinted at a preference for Biden to stay in the race. Don Jr. offered rare praise for Biden’s recent press conference, saying Biden did “fine enough to stay in it.” Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee, suggested removing Biden would “go against the democratic process.”
However, Republican experts acknowledge that while a new Democratic candidate would pose challenges for Trump, it would be even harder for Democrats to select and unify behind a new nominee.
“Yes, it would cause the Trump campaign to adjust, but Democrats would face a much bigger challenge,” said Douglas Heye, a Republican strategist.
Republicans are already scrutinizing records of potential Democratic replacements like Kamala Harris. “They’re not fully prepared for this, but they’re getting ready,” Heye added.
Next week, Trump will take center stage at the Republican convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, officially accepting his party’s nomination and making a primetime speech to set the tone for the final months of his campaign.
“If you’re keeping your candidate under wraps for a while, there has to be a payoff,” Heye said. “Trump’s team can assure him: ‘Next week, it’s all about you.'”
