Since a Manhattan jury convicted presidential candidate Donald Trump of 34 felony counts, President Joe Biden and many top Democrats have been muted in their reactions. The lone statement from the president's campaign Thursday was that "no one is above the law." The following day, Biden spoke briefly from the White House and declared that "the American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed." Even as a growing number of Democrats urged Biden to make Trump's convictions central to the campaign, most of the party's leaders have stuck to the president's line of solemn statements about the rule of law. Biden himself, admittedly, must show some restraint as head of the executive branch — though the presidential debates in particular will give him ample opportunity to remind voters of Trump's criminal record. Candidates in red or reddish states — Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, for example — may also have to tailor their words out of necessity. But most Democrats should have no qualms about going all in on this guilty verdict (or any of the civil judgments against Trump and his businesses). This is a preview of James Downie's latest article. Read the full column here. |
