President Joe BidenB次元官网网址檚 Democratic allies are launching an aggressive defense against a special counselB次元官网网址檚 explosive claims that the 81-year-old president couldnB次元官网网址檛 remember major milestones in his life, trying to diminish the significance of the prosecutorB次元官网网址檚 allegations that Biden was too forgetful to be charged for mishandling classified material.
Biden set the angry tone hours after special counsel Robert HurB次元官网网址檚 report was released, dismissing the reportB次元官网网址檚 conclusions about his memory and insisting he hadnB次元官网网址檛 forgotten the year his son Beau died, as Hur claimed. Democrats on Capitol Hill and around the country quickly followed.
B次元官网网址淩epublicans saying that Biden is old is the least surprising thing in American politics,B次元官网网址� Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 all theyB次元官网网址檝e got.B次元官网网址�
Democrats plan to answer the widespread questions about the 81-year-old presidentB次元官网网址檚 age and readiness by affirming that Biden is capable of being commander in chief and trying to discredit people who portray him as enfeebled. Key to that strategy is drawing a contrast with former President Donald Trump, the heavy Republican front-runner who is himself 77 and has also confused names and facts while also facing four indictments and multiple multimillion-dollar civil judgments.
The signs of support are crucial for Biden as he prepares for what could be a tight election against Trump. Even before the reportB次元官网网址檚 release, fears were mounting that the coalition that helped elect Biden in 2020 was fraying, making it all the more important for Biden to keep as many supporters as possible firmly on his side.
The Biden campaign circulated talking points to allies that were obtained by The Associated Press. The talking points refer to Hur, a U.S. attorney during the Trump administration, as a B次元官网网址淢AGA-appointed attorney who doesnB次元官网网址檛 have a case so he decided to lob personal attacks against the president.B次元官网网址� ThatB次元官网网址檚 a reference to B次元官网网址淢ake America Great Again,B次元官网网址� TrumpB次元官网网址檚 political movement.
The talking points also stressed that Hur is B次元官网网址渁 lawyer B次元官网网址� not a doctor B次元官网网址� so people should take his legal conclusions and ignore his political opinions.B次元官网网址�
The White House has also noted Biden cooperated with Hur, who declined to charge him with unlawfully retaining classified documents, while Trump faces an indictment in Florida after the FBI seized records from his Mar-a-Lago residence.
B次元官网网址淭he way that the presidentB次元官网网址檚 demeanor in that report was characterized could not be more wrong on the facts and clearly politically motivated, gratuitous,B次元官网网址� Vice President Kamala Harris said Friday. B次元官网网址淚 will say that when it comes to the role and responsibility of a prosecutor in a situation like that, we should expect that there would be a higher level of integrity than what we saw.B次元官网网址�
Indignation spread into South Carolina, where Biden scored a commanding victory in the first-in-the-nation Democratic primary on Feb. 3, which was designed by his campaign to project clear strength. Some saw BidenB次元官网网址檚 forceful response to the special counsel as a promising sign.
B次元官网网址淚 truly believe this is bringing the best out in the president. ItB次元官网网址檚 showing that heB次元官网网址檚 a fighter,B次元官网网址� said LaJoia Broughton, a 42-year-old small-business owner in Columbia who voted for Biden in the primary.
Biden aides say they do not expect the president or his campaign to take on the age question more directly. They canB次元官网网址檛 make Biden any younger, and note that attacks on the president over his age were also persistent four years ago, when Trump labeled him B次元官网网址淪leepy Joe.B次元官网网址�
Instead, they intend to draw on the blueprint of the 2020 campaign and argue many voters wonB次元官网网址檛 want a repeat of TrumpB次元官网网址檚 turbulent time in the White House. They also plan to highlight BidenB次元官网网址檚 accomplishments and an economy that continues to show strength.
B次元官网网址淭he president has said that age is a fair question on votersB次元官网网址� minds, but if youB次元官网网址檙e an independent or pursuable voter across this country and youB次元官网网址檙e worried about your kid facing gun violence while going to school, the prospect a national abortion ban, or the future of our democracy, you may think about the presidentB次元官网网址檚 age, but at the end of the day the choice is easy,B次元官网网址� said Kate Berner, a former deputy communications director in the Biden White House. B次元官网网址淒onald Trump is on the wrong side of all of those issues.B次元官网网址�
Some Democrats werenB次元官网网址檛 so optimistic.
B次元官网网址淭his is a distraction. When youB次元官网网址檙e running a presidential campaign, you donB次元官网网址檛 like distractions,B次元官网网址� said Jim Messina, who led former President Barack ObamaB次元官网网址檚 last campaign.
Messina compared the special counselB次元官网网址檚 report to the announcement in October 2016 by then- FBI Director James Comey that he was further investigating Democratic presidential nominee Hillary ClintonB次元官网网址檚 handling of classified emails when she was secretary of state. ComeyB次元官网网址檚 announcement, which came 11 days before the election, has been blamed for helping Trump beat Clinton.
In this case, this weekB次元官网网址檚 report comes more than nine months before Election Day.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 just so much time to get through all this,B次元官网网址� Messina said. B次元官网网址淭rump has all the trials coming up. IB次元官网网址檇 be surprised if this was an issue in a month.B次元官网网址�
Still, TrumpB次元官网网址檚 allies were emboldened this week.
Beyond celebrating the release of the special counselB次元官网网址檚 embarrassing descriptions of Biden, Trump won a new trove of delegates in NevadaB次元官网网址檚 Thursday caucuses, where he ran unopposed.
B次元官网网址淲e all already know that Joe Biden is senile. WhatB次元官网网址檚 being lost is that Joe Biden is a criminal who put American national security at risk,B次元官网网址� Donald Trump Jr. wrote in one of many messages highlighting the new report.
Barry Goodman, a Biden fundraiser from Michigan, said heB次元官网网址檚 had some donors B次元官网网址渢ake a wait and see approachB次元官网网址� about supporting Biden, even before the special counselB次元官网网址檚 announcement.
B次元官网网址淭hey wanted to see if someone else would get in or whether Trump would drop out B次元官网网址� but no one else is getting in,B次元官网网址� Goodman said. B次元官网网址淥f everyone I talk to, some are more excited than others.B次元官网网址�
Still, Goodman said the report did nothing to shake his support for Biden.
Trav Robertson, a former South Carolina Democratic Party chairman, described the report as an obvious political liability for Biden. But he directed blame squarely at Attorney General Merrick Garland for allowing the report to include comments about the presidentB次元官网网址檚 age, memory and cognitive function.
B次元官网网址淢errick Garland not doing his job only allowed a Trump appointee to feed a political narrative to deflect from Trump,B次元官网网址� Robertson said, adding, B次元官网网址淒onald Trump canB次元官网网址檛 lift a glass of water to his lips without using both hands because heB次元官网网址檚 old.B次元官网网址�
Indeed, BidenB次元官网网址檚 allies were eager to highlight a perceived double standard as BidenB次元官网网址檚 gaffes get far more attention than those of other leading politicians.
Trump repeatedly confused former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Republican rival Nikki Haley in recent weeks. Biden didnB次元官网网址檛 help himself, of course, by referring to the Egyptian leader as the president of Mexico late Thursday.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a clear unfairness there that people feel,B次元官网网址� Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., a former U.S. attorney, said of the focus on BidenB次元官网网址檚 gaffes, describing the special counselB次元官网网址檚 assessment of BidenB次元官网网址檚 mental health as B次元官网网址渋mproper,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渋nappropriateB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渟hameful.B次元官网网址�
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., noted that even House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also recently confused Iran with Israel.
B次元官网网址淲ho cares?B次元官网网址� Garcia said of the gaffes. B次元官网网址淭he president is going to win. IB次元官网网址檓 very confident in that. Most importantly, heB次元官网网址檚 going to be running against a 91-time indicted criminal.B次元官网网址�
Steve Peoples, Zeke Miller And Seung Min Kim, The Associated Press
