Biden Campaign Plans to Stick to Current Strategy Following Trump Verdict

Getting your political opponent convicted of a felony is usually seen as a rare opportunity.

As the world awaits a verdict in Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York, President Joe Biden’s campaign is sticking to its current strategy, even in the event of a guilty verdict.

Biden’s team is content to let other Democrats and allies portray Trump as a felon. They have decided to keep the president focused on legislative achievements, threats to democracy, and abortion access, according to sources familiar with the planning.

The campaign is readying a statement to be released after the verdict, reminding supporters that “the only way to defeat Trump is through the ballot box,” an official familiar with the strategy disclosed.

Biden’s campaign has been deliberating for weeks on how to handle the outcome of the legal trial. Some top campaign officials and Democrat allies have pushed for highlighting a guilty verdict more if that is the jury’s decision.

Although polling suggests a guilty verdict could impact voters, campaign officials believe that ultimately, the jury’s decision will not significantly alter the dynamics of the election.

There are still undecided elements in Biden’s strategy, including whether to label his Republican opponent a “convicted felon” in social media posts and campaign literature if he is found guilty.

To capitalize on the media attention on the Trump trial, the Biden campaign enlisted Hollywood star Robert De Niro to speak to the press outside the New York courthouse. Talking points on Trump’s threat to democracy were provided, but the actor went off script and discussed a potential conviction.

Trump has entered a plea of not guilty to 34 charges of falsifying business records to conceal a payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Daniels had threatened to disclose an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, which he denies.

“The charges against President Trump should never have been brought, and this trial should never have taken place. The Biden Trial is a despicable act of election interference. President Trump is innocent, and the American people know it,” Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated.

The New York case has caused the Republican presidential candidate to spend more time in court than on the campaign trail recently, but it is considered the least significant of the four criminal cases Trump is facing. None of the other cases are likely to go to trial before the November election rematch with Biden.

Polls suggest that a guilty verdict could pose a threat to Trump in an election that might be decided by a small number of votes in key battleground states.

In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, voters were asked about the impact of a conviction in this case on their vote.

Among Trump voters, 6% stated they would be less likely to vote for him if he were convicted, 24% said they would be more likely to vote for him, and 68% said it would not make a difference, according to the poll.

One in four Republicans said they would not vote for Trump if he is found guilty in a criminal trial, as per a Reuters/Ipsos poll of registered voters in April. In the same survey, 60% of independents said they would not vote for Trump if he is convicted of a crime.

“Will a conviction sink Trump? The vast majority of his supporters say it would be no big deal. But in an extremely close race, that 6% could tip the balance,” noted Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy.