As New York City jurors deliberate over whether to convict former President Donald Trump on charges that he falsified business records to hide a payment to an adult film star from the American public before the 2016 election, it’s still not clear how President Joe Biden would address a potential guilty verdict.
Such a verdict would create an unprecedented situation: a major candidate for president convicted on criminal charges. The trial could also result in a hung jury or a not guilty verdict.
While generally speaking, running against a convicted felon could be a political gift, the Biden campaign is unlikely to dramatically alter its messaging if the jurors find Trump guilty, a senior campaign official told ABC News.
The only way to stop Trump is at the ballot box, the official said, that Trump’s future is up to voters, not the court.
Biden has largely made just in-passing references to his opponent’s trial.
President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, May 29, 2024.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
On the first day of the trial, in April, when a reporter asked Biden if he would watch coverage of the proceedings, the president shook his head, “no.”
Two days later, while discussing Trump’s economic record at a Pittsburgh event, Biden noted that his predecessor “is busy right now” — a reference to the ongoing trial.
That same week, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the president criticized Trump’s treatment of women, a possible veiled reference to the trial, where Stormy Daniels, the pornstar Trump paid off, described leaving a sexual interaction with Trump “shaking.” Trump has long denied the sexual encounter.
Speaking about being put on a most-eligible bachelors list after his first wife died, Biden said, “Unlike the guy running, I didn’t take advantage of any [women].”
As Biden and Trump challenged the other to debate, Biden said he know Trump was “free on Wednesdays” — a dig that stemmed from Trump’s hush money trial not being in session on Wednesdays. Biden’s campaign even sold “Free on Wednesdays” t-shirts.
Asked on Wednesday how much attention Biden has paid to the Trump trial as jurors deliberate, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she hadn’t spoken to the president about it.
Trending Reader Picks
“The president is focused on the American people — delivering for the American people,” Jean-Pierre said in response.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters, with his attorney, Todd Blanche, right, as jurors begin deliberations for his trial at the Manhattan criminal court, May 29, 2024, in New York.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via AP, Pool
Biden campaign aides have been similarly coy.
“Through sunny days and stormy nights, Joe Biden’s campaign isn’t about fighting through his own trials, tribulations and personal grievances,” James Singer, a campaign spokesman, wrote in a statement during the trial’s opening week.
The campaign broke precedent this week, however, dispatching actor Robert De Niro and two former police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to downtown Manhattan to speak to reporters near the courthouse.
“I love this city. I don’t want to destroy it. Donald Trump wants to destroy not only the city, but the country, and eventually he can destroy the world,” De Niro said.
Michael Tyler, a campaign communications director for the Biden campaign, nevertheless tried to distance the press conference from the trial.
“We’re not here today because of what’s going on over there,” he said, pointing to the courthouse. “We’re here today because you all are.”
ABC News’ Mary Bruce contributed to this report.
As the Senate jurors deliberate on the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden has taken a restrained approach to the proceedings. While Biden has made it clear that he believes Trump should be held accountable for his actions leading up to the Capitol insurrection on January 6th, he has refrained from publicly commenting on the trial in order to let the process play out without interference.
Biden’s decision to remain largely silent on the trial stands in stark contrast to Trump’s own behavior during his impeachment trials, where he often took to Twitter to criticize the proceedings and attack his accusers. Instead, Biden has focused on his administration’s efforts to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and jumpstart the economy, leaving the impeachment trial to the Senate to handle.
This approach reflects Biden’s desire to prioritize unity and healing in a deeply divided country. By allowing the Senate to carry out its constitutional duty without his direct involvement, Biden is sending a message that he trusts in the institutions of democracy to hold those in power accountable for their actions.
However, Biden has not completely stayed out of the fray. In a recent interview, he stated that he believed the trial was necessary in order to uphold the rule of law and ensure that no one is above accountability, not even a former president. This statement reaffirms Biden’s commitment to upholding the principles of democracy and the rule of law, even in the face of political turmoil.
As the Senate jurors continue to deliberate on Trump’s fate, Biden’s restrained approach serves as a reminder of the importance of allowing the legal process to run its course without interference. By letting the Senate do its job without his direct involvement, Biden is demonstrating his commitment to upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring that justice is served.
