For Democrats facing a tough news cycle about President Joe Biden, Donald Trump’s 34-felony conviction in New York on Thursday provided a rare bright spot.
Biden, who has been struggling in the polls and struggling to keep part of his base intact for the fall election, was silent after the decision was announced as his campaign stuck to its message that the only way to defeat Trump is at the polls. Box.
“No one is above the law … Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed that he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain,” Biden campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement. “Trump’s threat to our democracy has never been greater. “
NBC News was at Biden’s campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, before news of the imminent verdict broke. It was just another Thursday, at least for now, in the bustling two-story office of a downtown high-rise near Biden’s home. The campaign was gearing up for a big month to turn the page from the end of Trump’s trial, which will culminate in the first of two face-to-face Biden-Trump debates.
At the same time, the campaign on Thursday highlighted the message he teased last week: voters need to wake up to the possibility of another Trump term. That means they’re joining Democratic campaigns and fundraisers to stop Trump in November, and that they don’t expect Trump to go away because of the many challenges he faces.
But allies and fellow democrats saw great confidence – on all accounts – in which poll after poll showed it was a close race, potentially hurting Trump’s electoral prospects.
“There’s no way to think today is a good day for Donald Trump,” said Pete Giangreco, a veteran Democratic strategist who worked on former President Barack Obama’s campaign. “There’s no way to tell how many felons who are Trump voters can’t vote. There are a lot of people who don’t like Biden and don’t like the current situation, who held their noses and voted for Trump before today. “I think most of those people can now say, ‘I’ll stay at home.'”
That’s unlikely to be reflected in the polls, Giangreco said: “What the polls can’t measure is who’s going to stay home.”
One Biden ally called it a “great day” and was among Democrats who saw the ruling as a potential boost for Biden, calling it “perhaps a turning point.”
Simon Rosenberg, a veteran Democratic strategist, said the verdict served as another signal that may have finally swayed potential voters who were still not paying attention to the presidential election.
“It obviously makes it harder for Donald Trump to win the election,” Rosenberg said. “It’s likely to accelerate the regulatory process, and for people who are just waking up, what they’re going to learn is that the leader of the Republican party is a convicted felon.”
Biden was not expected to file a separate news release to address the ruling, according to a person with knowledge of the plans. However, he may ask questions about this in the future when he is already in front of journalists.
“We respect the rule of law and have no further comment,” said Ian Sams, a spokesman for the White House counsel’s office.
At the same time, Biden the campaign emphasized messaging teased last week: so that the voters are aware of the possibilities another Trump term. This means that the campaign says it is getting supporters In November, he participated in and won Democratic campaigns and fundraisers to stop Trump stop waiting for it to do he somehow gets away with the countless trials he faces.
A Democratic strategist familiar with the Biden campaign’s thinking said the re-election team had long considered Thursday’s guilty verdict. The strategist noted that no matter how important the development is at the moment, “the fact that Trump is a criminal will not be the main message in the long run.”
Last week, the Biden campaign said it planned to take a more aggressive, issues-based approach to Trump after the job is over. Biden’s team will focus on issues that matter to voters: threats to democracy and individual liberties, Biden’s economic achievements, and prioritizing the middle class over the wealthy and corporations.
“Finally, the president must convince the American people that Trump’s chaos and lawlessness is not only bad for Trump’s life, but bad for their lives,” the strategist said.
While the campaign was careful not to take on a celebratory tone, other Democrats were more open with their views. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker did not hold back in a post hosting the Democratic convention this summer.
“Donald Trump is racist, homophobic, angry and a threat to this country. He can now add one more title to his list – criminal.” Pritzker wrote in X.
A social media fan account not affiliated with the Biden campaign He published a photo of Biden holding a bowl of ice cream and manipulated the photo so that he had a giant “L” in his hand.
Brandon Weathersby, a spokesman for the pro-Biden American Bridge PAC, said in a statement: “This trial has exposed Trump’s corrupt dealings with the tabloids, his exploitation of his staff and associates, and his willingness to do whatever it takes to serve himself at all costs. End six weeks have reminded voters that Donald Trump’s number one priority has always been himself. At a time when we need steady, clear-eyed leadership to stand up to adversaries like Russia and China, Trump has reminded voters that he will always put himself before the needs of the country.”