Staff Reports
President Joe Biden is facing an uphill battle against detractors within his own party who wish to see him step aside in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris or some other soon-to-be-named hopeful. Despite his relentless attempts at damage control—sending strongly worded letters, appealing to TV and radio hosts, and mingling with voters—the cries for him to exit stage left are only getting louder.
Naomi Lim notes that even a stellar “big boy” press conference at the close of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., won’t change the fact that questions about his age and competence aren’t going anywhere. His previous debate performance against former President Donald Trump was dismal, lighting a firestorm of criticism from his party.
Washington Examiner: Wake up with the Washington Examiner: Biden’s big moment, Jill’s job, and Trump triangulates https://t.co/NjMOuW7Uua
— Ian Hansen 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@IanHansenFeed) July 11, 2024
The elephant in the room is Biden’s age, as even Democratic strategists admit. If he fails to deliver at the press conference, his campaign might be circling the drain. The president is in an unenviable position: he must convince everyone he’s not too old for the job. One trip or misstep, and he may find it nearly impossible to get back on his feet.
Rarely appearing in front of the media, Biden’s upcoming press conference is a rare event indeed. His recent unscripted moments with radio hosts have not inspired confidence, with gaffes like referring to himself as the first black female vice president. If he can’t handle questions he supposedly knew were coming, it’s anyone’s guess how he’ll fare under the scrutinizing gaze of frustrated reporters.
Should he manage a forceful showing, it may only temporarily dampen criticism. Political science pundits argue that Biden’s ability to regain trust is limited. The bar for success is almost cartoonishly high—short of miraculous feats like beating chess grandmasters or outplaying basketball stars, doubts about his mental and physical fitness will persist.
Meanwhile, no one can miss the First Lady stepping in to save the day. After that terrible debate, Jill Biden is on overdrive, trying to resuscitate her husband’s tanking campaign. She’s traveling, making speeches, and launching outreach programs, but her media avoidance tactics are frustrating reporters.
Contrasting her with Melania Trump, Democratic operatives brag about Jill Biden’s involvement while taking cheap shots at the former First Lady. They claim Jill provides emotional and strategic support that’s supposedly absent in Trump’s camp. Yet, it’s really just another smokescreen to distract from the fact that the Biden administration is struggling to paint over its glaring weaknesses.
And let’s talk about Trump. The man, usually a media magnet, has been largely absent from the spotlight post-debate. His strategy appears to be letting Biden self-destruct—a move that Napoleon himself would have allegedly approved of. When Trump does emerge, it’s to deliver calculated jabs while maintaining enough distance to let Biden continue unraveling.
Biden’s team is clearly frazzled, trying to divert attention back to Trump while grappling with their own campaign chaos. All eyes will be on Trump soon enough as he holds rallies and gears up for the Republican National Convention. Clearly, the quieter Trump plays it now, the more explosive his return could be.
In short, Biden’s strategy appears to be that of a magician without any tricks up his sleeve. With Jill Biden working overtime and Trump quietly plotting his return, it’s shaping up to be an election season full of fireworks and side-show spectacles.
