Biden orders Dems to remain mum on Trump indictment: report
Joe Biden doesn’t want fellow Democrats speaking publicly about the federal indictment against Donald Trump, and the President has issued a directive ordering the national Democratic Party and his reelection campaign to remain mum, Politico reports.
The report notes that Biden since the beginning of his presidency has vowed not to discuss Department of Justice investigations, and in particular any such probe involving Trump, and that those close to Biden have expressed reservations about weighing in on the former president’s legal troubles, which some believe would fuel the narrative that Biden was trying to meddle in such investigations.
“I have never once — not one single time — suggested to the Justice Department what they should do or not do, relative to bringing a charge or not bringing a charge,” Biden told reporters Thursday. “I’m honest.”
But not all Democrats believe remaining silent about Trump’s growing legal troubles is the best strategy, according to the report.
Jonathan Lemire writes for Politico that, “Some Democrats and allies worried that Biden could miss a chance to underscore the seriousness of the national moment as well as deliver a political blow to his top White House rival.”
Some are hopeful that Biden changes his mind once it’s clear that the former president has secured the Republican nomination.
Lemire writes that, “Some in his inner circle hope the decision will be revisited if next year’s general election looks like it could be a rematch with Trump, even if the legal fight has not been resolved by then. As the president’s advisers chart a court for the campaign to come, they are aware that continued silence about the charges facing Trump would deprive Biden’s reelection effort of a potent political weapon.”
Some progressive groups have taken matters into their own hands and have commissioned the creation of advertising linked to Trump’s legal troubles, according to the report, which reportedly does the dirty work in place of Democratic Party officials.
But Jill Biden appears to have missed the memo.
The report notes that the first lady assailed Republicans for supporting the former president amid the troubling allegations during an appearance at a Monday night fundraiser in New York.
“My heart feels so broken by a lot of the headlines that we see on the news,” she reportedly said.
“Like I just saw, when I was on my plane, it said 61 percent of Republicans are going to vote, they would vote for Trump."
“They don’t care about the indictment. So that’s a little shocking, I think.”