‘He orchestrated it’: Internet questions Biden’s silence on Trump’s hush money trial ahead of verdict

WASHINGTON, DC: Joe Biden intends to break his silence and publicly comment on the criminal trial Donald Trump is facing once a verdict is announced, according to four individuals privy to internal discussions who spoke with POLITICO.

Biden plans to make his initial remarks in a White House setting rather than a campaign environment to demonstrate that his statement is not politically motivated, as stated by those who choose to remain anonymous.

Biden's team plans to use Trump's trial verdict  to highlight his unsuitability for office

If the jury convicts Trump, Biden's team plans to argue that this demonstrates Trump's unsuitability for office and the lengths he would go to win again.

The campaign's social media team is considering furthering this narrative by referring to the former president as "Convicted Felon Donald Trump" online.

They are also preparing for potential attacks from Republicans and Trump if he is acquitted or if there is a hung jury. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday, May 28, with the jury possibly reaching a decision as early as the following week.

Biden will address the outcome at an undetermined time and place, emphasizing that regardless of the verdict—conviction, acquittal, or hung jury—the integrity of America's legal system is upheld and the process should be respected.

“This is an important moment and the President first and foremost needs to stress that the American system works, even and especially in an election year,” stated one of the four individuals who were granted anonymity for the purpose of discussing the deliberations.

They went on to say, “And in a measured way, it becomes part of his argument against Trump too: Do Americans really want this?"

Donald Trump's trial presents political challenges

The Biden team's plans are currently under consideration and may be subject to change, according to sources. Both the White House and Biden's campaign have refrained from commenting.

The unprecedented criminal prosecution of a former president poses complex political challenges for the current president, particularly as his son, Hunter Biden, confronts separate trials on gun and tax charges later this year.

President Biden has deliberately distanced himself from Trump's trial to prevent any suggestion of interference, despite some Democrats urging him to more prominently address the allegations against Trump: namely, that he arranged a payment to silence an adult film star about an affair, thereby breaching campaign finance regulations.

Furthermore, the President's team does not believe that even a conviction will significantly alter the course of the campaign, despite the fact that the President will probably occasionally bring up a guilty verdict while out on the campaign trail.

Aides don't think many voters outside of the Acela corridor have taken a strong interest in the trial. However, it might have an impact on the margins, and that might be significant in a race that is predicted to be very close.

“I don’t think [Biden] needs to run to the briefing room to talk about this,” said Jennifer Palmieri, former communications director for Barack Obama.

“But, at some point, he should address the conviction saying that a jury of Donald Trump’s peers have convicted him of a crime and it would do extraordinary damage to the standing of the United States and to the credibility of our democratic system for someone Americans found guilty of a crime to then be elected president.”

Biden team believes a guilty verdict doesn't disqualify Trump from election eligibility

The Biden team has long held the view that relying solely on a conviction to undermine Trump's policies is insufficient, as a guilty verdict does not automatically disqualify him from election eligibility.

They consider the upcoming presidential debate to be a pivotal event to influence the race, believing that issues such as abortion, inflation, and international conflicts resonate more with voters.

Despite sending over 100 fundraising emails since the start of the New York proceedings in mid-April, only two have mentioned the word "trial".

Both emails highlighted the trial's effectiveness in boosting Trump's fundraising efforts and appealed to Democratic donors to contribute to Biden's campaign to remain competitive.

If Trump manages to avoid being found guilty, it could intensify the fervor among Trump's current supporters.

Meanwhile, as Biden is on the verge of ending his relative silence regarding Trump's trial, numerous figures in Democratic politics are advocating for prudence.

“I don’t think it’s important to rub it in,” said Rep Don Beyer (D-Va.). “I don’t think anybody on our side should be reacting with glee. It just should be a tragedy that an American president has been convicted of real crimes.”

Democratic strategists suggest President Biden and other Democrats should remain silent

Interviews with a dozen of Biden's allies on Capitol Hill and notable Democratic strategists not affiliated but supportive of his campaign suggest that the president and other Democrats should remain silent if Trump is found guilty. They believe the verdict will speak for itself.

The well-documented crimes and legal issues of Trump are already known to voters, they contend, and there is no need for Biden and his representatives to reiterate them.

The conviction of a former president aiming to regain office is a grave event that should not be exploited for political advantage.

Moreover, some strategists believe that commenting on Trump's trial could inadvertently highlight the legal entanglements of Hunter Biden.

“If he’s convicted, he will be called by everyone in Democratic politics ‘convicted felon Donald Trump'," Matt Bennett, the executive vice president for public affairs at the center-left think tank Third Way, stated.

Biden's involvement in Trump's criminal investigations could reduce political impact

Biden doesn’t “need to engage with it, because everyone else will,” Bennett said. “He is the only person who could in some ways lessen the political impact of this by getting involved, because Trump could then make the case that the verdict is political.”

Not all Democrats concur with a hands-off approach. Four years after Trump's presidency, there is concern among some Biden supporters that swing voters may need to be reminded of the turmoil that accompanies Trump's leadership.

“At some point, people have to get real and say, ‘You really want this man in the Oval Office? Do you really want him representing the people of this country?,’” said Rep Jim McGovern (D-Mass.).

A year ago, Biden directed the entities under White House control, including his reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee, to refrain from public discourse on the criminal investigations into Trump.

This was to maintain a distinct separation between the West Wing and the Department of Justice. Aside from occasional humor, Biden's team has adhered to this directive.

Aides have indicated that Biden will keep silent on the three active investigations into Trump, which involve his management of classified documents and election interference cases at the federal level and in Georgia, with trials probably not starting before the election.

Internet reacts to Biden's silence on Trump's criminal trial

Social media users were quick to comment on Trump's trial, and the strategy of the Democrats to address it.

One called it, "Pure fascism."

Another user added, "Stayed silent? Maybe because he orchestrated it."

A third commentator said, "If the Biden campaign makes the colossal mistake of leaning into the lawfare it's orchestrated it will backfire epically. Almost everyone, on both sides of the political spectrum, recognize that these flimsy cases are only happening because Trump is Biden's political opponent."

"Biden is the reason Trump is being persecuted. He belongs in prison with his brother and his son," one person concluded.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.