President Joe Biden took a swipe at former President Donald Trump, who is tied up in legal battles in a Manhattan courtroom led in part by a former Biden Department of Justice official. Biden not only dismissed the weaponization of law in this situation but also decided to capitalize on the drama by fundraising off of it.
After avoiding the possibility for months, Biden finally agreed to debate Trump in a 14-second video clip released on Wednesday. In the video, Biden mockingly referenced Trump’s limited availability to participate in the presidential campaign. Following this, Biden’s campaign released a $32 T-shirt with the slogan “Free On Wednesdays,” further emphasizing Biden’s taunts.
Biden’s jabs at Trump stem from the Democrats’ strategy of using lawfare against him as Biden lags in the polls. Despite the hopes that the lawfare tactics would boost Biden’s popularity, recent polls show Trump leading in key swing states among registered and likely voters. Trump has been tied up in a lawfare trial since April, being required to appear in court daily, except for Wednesdays, on charges related to business record falsification.
This is not the first time Biden has made light of the legal battles facing his opponent. During a campaign event, Biden joked about Trump’s debt burden resulting from a separate lawfare campaign led by the New York Attorney General. The former president was found liable for inflating his net worth to secure loans and was ordered to post a bond of $175 million.
Biden’s comments and actions reflect a trend of using the justice system as a tool against political opponents, as noted by some observers. Biden’s approach seems to inadvertently acknowledge the Democrats’ strategy of trying to financially drain and prosecute their opponents in an endless legal battle.
