From the outset of President Biden’s re-election campaign, the plan for winning was to make former President Donald J. Trump so unpalatable that voters uneasy with the incumbent would vote for him anyway. However, Mr. Biden is currently facing a political tailspin, with an abysmal debate performance highlighting his inability to make a strong case against Mr. Trump. This has led to a collective national concern about his ability to effectively perform his duties, prompting an increasing number of House Democrats to suggest that he should consider stepping down from the race.
To refocus voters on the threats posed by a potential second Trump administration, Mr. Biden’s allies emphasize the urgency for him to break free from his current negative spiral and convince voters, particularly fellow Democrats, that he is capable of the job.
Representative Eric Swalwell of California, who competed against Mr. Biden for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, emphasized the need to shift the focus back to Trump and the potential consequences of his presidency. He stated, “The last three elections have shown us if you’re the focus, you lose.”
The Biden campaign has consistently aimed to center attention on Mr. Trump. This was evident in Mr. Biden’s strong speech at the beginning of the year denouncing Mr. Trump’s efforts to undermine the previous election, as well as the significant financial resources invested by his allies to counter opposition efforts. Moreover, Mr. Biden’s team strategically rescheduled the first debate from September to June in hopes of giving voters a direct comparison between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, with the intention of revitalizing the campaign, boosting Mr. Biden’s declining poll numbers, and reminding voters of the potential consequences of a Trump re-election in January.
A pre-debate memo from Jen O’Malley Dillon, Mr. Biden’s campaign chair, underscored the focus on Mr. Trump by mentioning him 18 times compared to just five mentions of Mr. Biden. The memo highlighted Mr. Trump’s record, indicating that Mr. Biden was prepared to confront him on the debate stage.
