Following former President Donald Trump’s conviction last Thursday, it didn’t take long for Democrats to reveal their joy. In a telling moment, President Joe Biden flashed a weird yet brief smile last Friday when questioned about the former President’s declaration that he is a “political prisoner.”
A reporter asked Biden to respond to Trump’s accusations, including the direct blame Trump placed on Biden. “Mr. President, Donald Trump refers to himself as a political prisoner and blames you directly. What’s your response to that, sir?”
Biden’s smile was brief yet loaded with unspoken words. “Should he be on the ballot?” asked another reporter.
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Questions from reporters came on the heels of Trump’s criticism following the guilty verdict in his New York criminal trial. Trump, who was convicted on multiple counts related to the hush money scandal involving an adult film star, continuously declared his innocence and labeled his prosecution a political witch hunt aimed at tarnishing his 2024 presidential campaign prospects.
On Monday night’s weekly episode of Jon Stewart, the part-time late-night host took a look at the fallout from Trump’s conviction, while also making a plea to the media.
“No, don’t stop! Don’t stop! Don’t stop! Why can’t they tell him? Just f***ing keep walking. Whenever he’s out in public and he stops. No bueno!” Stewart said of Biden’s creepy press interaction from Friday.
“Why does everything have to be so f***ing weird?, Stewart joked. “If you have something to say about it, say it! If you don’t have something to say about it, don’t say it. But you’re just going to stop and hit him with some kind of 70s sitcom freeze frame? So, for Democrats, of course, the challenge is how do we exploit the moment politically without giving the impression that this was the plan all along.”
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Biden, who is gearing up for a 2024 showdown against Trump, commented on the verdict, stating it reaffirmed “that no one is above the law.” However, the subtle yet revealing reaction from Biden started a storm on social media, with supporters of Trump decrying the smile as indicative of a deeper, more malicious satisfaction in seeing his political rival in legal jeopardy.
Trump, who is poised to secure the GOP nomination at the upcoming Republican National Convention, faces a sentencing hearing on July 11. The hearing’s timing is critical, occurring just days before Trump is expected to be crowned the official Republican nominee. The sentence, which could range from prison time to probation, will be determined by the judge. Despite becoming the first former president and party frontrunner to receive a felony conviction, Trump remains eligible to run for office and even vote for himself.
“For the first time in American history a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the presidency,” Biden said at a fundraiser in Greenwich, Connecticut yesterday. “But as disturbing as that is, more damaging is the all-out assault Donald Trump is making on the American system of justice.”
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