The Biden operation is attempting to use the ongoing legal proceedings against former President Donald J. Trump to their advantage. Launching a bold initiative, they recently held a public conference, featuring Hollywood actor Robert De Niro, along with veteran Capitol Police members Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone. In no uncertain terms, the Biden team is leveraging the controversies surrounding the former statesman for their own political gains.
Robustly ignoring Trump’s trial initially, the Biden campaign then teased the former president about being ‘available on Wednesdays,’ a veiled reference to the court’s recess day. The Biden team has now leveled up with a cleverly constructed public event meant to draw attention to the singular predicament of a notable presidential figure awaiting possible felony charges.
The backdrop for Tuesday’s press conference was the iconic Manhattan courthouse, where Robert De Niro, whose voice graces their latest campaign advertisement, chose to speak. Alongside him were Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone, two ex-Capitol Police personnel who have expressed strong objections to Mr. Trump concerning his role in the Capitol chaos on Jan. 6, 2021.
De Niro reproached Trump for what he called ‘cowardly violence’ following the 2020 election, charging him with using the mob to perform his ‘dirty work.’ This public spectacle may well have been emulated by the Trump side had the political tables been turned.
The Biden camp, abiding by the presidential guidelines, has refrained from discussing the criminal allegations against Mr. Trump. However, their choice to send representatives to the Manhattan courthouse on the day of the defense’s closing statement nods toward their strategic intent, even though it was presented without explicit mention.
DE NIRO: “Under Trump, government will perish from the earth!” pic.twitter.com/iQcxHobA06
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 28, 2024
While the assembled attendants did not address Mr. Trump’s Manhattan-based trial, in which he stands accused of tampering with business documents related to a confidential settlement with an adult film actress prior to the 2016 election, they clearly aimed to spotlight his actions leading to Jan. 6, which is under separate federal scrutiny.
De Niro also hinted at a civil lawsuit last year that found Mr. Trump culpable of sexually harassing and disparaging E. Jean Carroll, a former journalist. Earlier this year, a compensation amount of $83.3 million was imposed on the former president, payable to Ms. Carroll.
The Biden campaign has been largely reticent about discussing this case or the verdict rendered against Mr. Trump. Yet De Niro pointedly mentioned, ‘Just a few blocks from here a jury found him guilty of sexual abuse.’
The Biden team argued that the presence of De Niro and the two police officers at Trump’s trial was aimed not at the case itself but at the media frenzy that surrounded the proceedings. With dissenters camped outside the courthouse, the press briefings during the trial have provoked some degree of vocal backlash.
Trump supporters turned up in numbers, yelling at De Niro and the former police officers, labelling the actor as an elitist while condemning the officers as treacherous. Trump has craftily tried to connect his four outstanding criminal cases, baselessly asserting that Biden is the mastermind behind all of them.
Other than the Manhattan trial, he faces allegations in varied federal cases over his management of confidential documents and his elaborate attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. This is in addition to a Georgia-related case about his efforts to amend the outcomes from the same election year.
The Trump campaign responded promptly to the Biden press conference, portraying De Niro’s participation as a desperate move from a campaign needing to improve Biden’s approval ratings. They referred to him as a ‘declined actor’ and contended that Biden’s campaign staff at the event felt it was unwise to be seen under the metaphorical shadow of the courthouse.
Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesperson, criticized the Biden campaign, stating they were ‘turning a serious legal matter into a political farce’ with their public appearance.
When questioned about the Biden team’s explanation for holding a press conference at the courthouse due to the permanent presence of national media, Karoline Leavitt, the campaign’s press secretary, scoffed and declared, ‘They’re desperate.’
WATCH: Biden Campaign Sends Robert De Niro to Appear Outside of Trump Trial appeared first on Real News Now.
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