In 2020, then-President Donald Trump heavily criticized President Joe Biden’s campaign schedule, labeling it as a “basement campaign.” Trump attributed the sparse event calendar and low-attendance rallies to Biden following the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the coronavirus pandemic.
With Trump falling behind in fundraising and dealing with a busy legal schedule, the Biden campaign is now using the term “court obligations” to describe Trump’s predicament, which has caused uncertainty in his campaign schedule.
“Isn’t campaigning — while your opponent tirelessly campaigns in battleground states — and staying hidden in your basement a effective strategy for building a winning coalition of voters?” questioned the Biden-Harris campaign in a memo distributed to the press recently.
Donald Trump’s legal schedule remains uncertain as he confronts the prospect of four separate criminal trials, each with its own distinct timeline.
Trump is set to go on trial for a hush payment to Stormy Daniels, with jury selection starting on April 15. The trial for his classified documents case is scheduled for May 20. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has proposed an August 5 start date for the trial regarding the 2020 election interference case in Georgia. As for his D.C. federal election interference case, no date has been scheduled yet. It is possible that some of these cases may be delayed as the Supreme Court considers Trump’s claims of presidential immunity.
Last week, while Trump was busy casting his vote in the Florida primary, he didn’t have any campaign events. Instead, he spent his time playing rounds of golf and having political meetings. Meanwhile, the Biden campaign has taken advantage of Trump’s lighter schedule and has ramped up their own campaign activities, aiming to catch up to Trump’s team in terms of fundraising.
During the earlier stages of this election cycle, Trump was actively campaigning in various battleground states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, while Biden was primarily focusing on his presidential responsibilities. However, as the Biden campaign has recently intensified its efforts, Trump’s Republican challengers have started targeting early-voting states.
Since Super Tuesday, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been relentlessly touring key battleground states. They have conducted over a dozen events in Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, and Texas.
Since Super Tuesday, Trump has only hosted two campaign rallies, one in Georgia and the other in Ohio. The campaign had initially planned a rally in Arizona, but it was canceled in favor of the Ohio rally to support Bernie Moreno, a Senate candidate endorsed by Trump.
The rally propelled Moreno to secure a primary victory. However, Trump’s remarks about a potential “bloodbath” for the nation if he fails to win the 2024 general election caused a media frenzy throughout the week.
“If I fail to win the election, the consequences will be dire for everyone… and that’s just the beginning. The impact on the country will be devastating, and that will be the least of our concerns.”
Trump’s campaign has refuted allegations that Trump was discussing violence across the country in the event of his loss in the 2024 reelection. They maintain that he was referring to the potential collapse of the auto industry.
In the past few weeks, Trump has received backlash for his remarks made during his recent appearances. Just last week, when discussing the potential outcome of the 2024 election, Trump made a controversial statement by perpetuating the antisemitic stereotype that Jewish Democrats “hate” Israel and “should be ashamed of themselves.” What’s concerning is that Trump not only made these comments but also defended them when faced with criticism. His remarks drew condemnation from various individuals, including President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is not only the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S. but also a staunch supporter of Israel.
Earlier this month, President Trump proposed reducing spending on entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare in a potential second term. The aim of this proposal is to address the significant national debt, which amounts to tens of trillions of dollars.
During an interview with CNBC, Joe Kernen, the anchor, inquired if President Trump had altered his perspective on managing entitlements. Kernen expressed his concern, stating that without taking any action, the country’s debt could remain at an alarming rate of 120% of the gross domestic product indefinitely.
Trump responded by emphasizing the various actions that can be taken to address entitlements, including cutting wasteful spending and tackling issues related to theft and mismanagement. He highlighted the need for better management of entitlements to ensure their effectiveness and efficiency.
The Trump campaign has strongly responded to Biden’s criticism of the comments, asserting that his words are being misinterpreted. Trump’s campaign has criticized the Biden campaign for selectively sharing excerpts from Trump’s response instead of providing the complete context of the exchange.
As Biden continues his campaign trail, the Trump campaign has been keen on emphasizing his mistakes and questioning his mental sharpness. Biden and his team have brushed off these accusations. In a recent campaign ad, Biden openly acknowledged his advanced age.
“I may not be a young guy,” chuckled Biden at the beginning of the ad, speaking directly to the camera. “That’s no secret. But here’s the thing, I know how to accomplish things for the American people.”
Joe Biden is older than Donald Trump by a span of three years.
Trump supporters and political experts argue that Trump’s primary schedule had little impact on his potential to ultimately win the Republican nomination, saying that his campaign had other opportunities to make news.
“To conserve money, the campaign has reduced the number of large rallies that Trump prefers to hold. However, Trump’s name remains on the front page of every media outlet in the country on a daily basis. So even when he’s not doing events, his visibility is strong,” said Dan Eberhart, a prominent Republican contributor who worked as a bundler for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign. Eberhart stated that he now supports Trump.
Trump’s campaign had a larger war chest of $42 million entering March, according to campaign finance reports. According to campaign finance records, Trump’s team is relatively thrifty with its campaign funds as it tries to establish a war chest large enough to compete with Biden and the Democratic Party’s $100 million cash on hand.
“He’s also benefited from being out of the spotlight and having to answer reporters’ questions every day.” It hasn’t hurt him in the polls,” Eberhart stated.
Political consultant Charlie Kolean said it’s not unexpected that Trump isn’t campaigning as much now that he’s secured the Republican nomination, given his campaign’s financial crunch and his ongoing legal troubles.
“I think it’s intentional,” Kolean said, adding that he doesn’t think Trump’s lack of recent campaign events, as Biden cranks up his campaigning, will harm the former president’s campaign.
Trump’s lack of in-person campaign events following Super Tuesday stands in stark contrast to his 2016 campaign, when he crisscrossed the country and held more than a dozen campaign rallies within two weeks of Super Tuesday while still competing against his Republican primary competitors.
“I think you’re going to see a lot more of this,” Kolean continued. “When Trump is doing an interview, I think it will be more controlled, with more friendly-ish type outlets, and I think when Trump does a rally, it’s going to be more strategic.”
