Welcome to the online version of From the policy deskevening bulletin that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill from the NBC News Politics team.
In today’s edition, White House correspondents Mike Memoli and Monica Alba note how Joe Biden has stepped up his personal attacks on Donald Trump. Plus, “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker interviews the two governors about whether bipartisanship will still exist in these divided times.
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Biden’s latest campaign goal: Get under Trump’s skin
By Mike Memoli and Monica Alba
As President Joe Biden tries to defeat Donald Trump, he’s increasingly focused on another goal he thinks will help him achieve it: getting under his skin.
Both privately and publicly in recent weeks, Biden has taken personal, biting and often sarcastic jabs at his Republican opponent, targeting his financial woes, campaign pace and even his weight.
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It’s a strategy largely driven by Biden himself, according to multiple aides and advisers familiar with the approach.
“This is him and we are under his leadership,” one Biden aide said. “There’s something about Joe Biden that gets under Donald Trump’s skin more than anyone, and I think Joe Biden knows it.”
a star-studded fundraiser On Thursday evening, Biden was asked what was at stake in the 2024 election. After a response that was widely critical of Trump’s positions, he concluded: “Everything he’s done is so old … a little old and out of shape.”
Biden also touched on the former president’s physical endurance while telling a story about a brief conversation they had about golf at the White House shortly after Trump’s election.
“I said it once when he walked into the Oval before he was sworn in. I said, ‘I’m going to give you three punches, but you carry the bag,'” Biden said with a laugh.
According to two of his aides and a top adviser, the president made the jokes on his own, noting that Biden often used similar quips in internal staff meetings.
Biden’s team believes that such comments and jokes can resonate with voters for two reasons: because they are “rooted,” one aide said, who Biden is, and without others, they wouldn’t work as well. authenticity to it.
While their contrasting political positions mattered to the president, one adviser said Biden was also “absolutely driven” to present a “sharp” difference in character with Trump.
Time for bipartisanship? Two governors weigh in on leadership in crisis
By Kristen Welker
How can we unite when the country is so divided?
This is the question our elected leaders face on a daily basis, especially in times of crisis. That’s the challenge facing Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, as he leads his state after this week’s fatal shooting. Bridge collapse in Baltimore.
“Whether you’re governor or elected to another office, you’re called to serve everyone, think things through, and transcend some of the politics and unfortunate polarization we see today,” Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said. The Democrat told me this week at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston, where Moore and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sunuu, a Republican, were honored. (Moore was unable to attend the event due to the collapse of the bridge.)
Sununu emphasized the importance of transparency and strengthening the feeling that “we are all in this together” in times of crisis.
“If you have that, it kind of bypasses political issues or politics, or even people who don’t agree with the decision or the way you’re taking it,” Sununu said.
Rebuilding that critical path is a tall order for Moore, who faces his first major test since taking office last year. It’s also a test for the Biden administration, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told Politico He said the Baltimore Bridge collapse was “one of the most surprising and extreme emergencies we’ve ever faced.” And it’s a test for Congress as lawmakers from both parties try to come together to secure critical funding for the bridge’s reconstruction.
Partisanship continues, of course, especially as we approach November. Take Sunu, who has a unique position in his own party. After fiercely opposing Trump in the presidential election, Sununu now supports him in the general election, albeit reluctantly.
“It’s a binary choice for me,” Sunu said, adding, “I’m not going to like Trump and what he’s doing and all that. But I can take a Republican administration, or I can take President Kamala Harris. And for the average Republican, we say ‘Oh, I guess we’re on that guy because it’s on the administration.’
But Sununu also stressed that the country is not divided as it seems. And speaking of bipartisanship, Healey agreed.
“There is more that unites us than divides us as a country,” Healey said.
🗞️ The best stories of the day
- 🔀 Crossing the corridor: Biden ran an ad aimed directly at winning over Nikki Haley’s voters, capitalizing on Trump’s comments about his supporters not being welcome in the campaign. More →
- 💲The art of the deal: Trump now sells a wide variety of products, from sneakers to perfume, from trading cards to Bibles. Experts say it is unprecedented for a presidential candidate to combine business ventures with a campaign to this extent. More →
- 🍑 Electoral actions : Georgia lawmakers have passed a bill that expands the ability of candidates to run in the state’s presidential primary and expands the ability to challenge voter disenfranchisement in the battleground state. More →
- 🗳️ Voting battle: The judge struck down New Jersey’s controversial ballot design ahead of the June primary, a victory for Democratic Senate candidate Andy Kim and a blow to the state’s political machine. More →
- ⏪ The decision was overturned: A Texas appeals court has overturned a woman’s five-year prison sentence for illegal voting, ending a years-long saga that drew national attention. More →
- 🏀 March Madness: A GOP Michigan lawmaker posted a photo on social media claiming there were buses of “illegal invaders” at the Detroit airport. However, as the Detroit News noted, the buses were filled with college basketball players traveling to the NCAA tournament. More →
For now, that’s it from The Politics Desk. If you have feedback – like it or not – email us politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com
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