Ron Klain, the former White House Chief of Staff, recently downplayed the notion that President Biden needs a grand strategy to contend with former President Donald Trump’s political maneuvers. During an interview with MSNBC, Klain remarked, “I don’t think it’s a big political strategy to take down Donald Trump. I think Trump is busy taking himself down every day.”
Klain’s comments come as both Biden and Trump have secured the delegates necessary for their respective party nominations, setting the stage for a potentially heated 2020 rematch. Despite recent polling that suggests a competitive race ahead, with Decision Desk HQ indicating Trump leading Biden by a slender margin.
“And it’s important, though, for the president to make the contrast between the kind of presidency he’s brought and what he’ll do for four more years, and [what] Donald Trump has done, what Trump himself is saying he’s going to do if he gets the chance to come back to the White House,” Klain added.
In the backdrop of these remarks is a recent CNN/SSRS poll that suggests a shift in public opinion, with 55 percent of surveyed Americans now viewing Trump’s presidency as a success compared to 39 percent for Biden. Klain applauded the Biden campaign’s media strategy, including presenting the incumbent in “nontraditional outlets.” “I think they’re doing a great job with it. I think that getting the president out there more, I think the more people see him, I think the more they like him, and the more they remember why they like him,” Klain stated.
“I think sometimes when you’re president, you get stuck inside the White House, you get stuck inside the Rose Garden. You need to get out to engage with people on the kinds of things that brought you to the White House, then for that, that’s his decency, his humanity, what he believes in, what he stands for,” he continued.
Klain also touched on Biden’s affection for campaigning and directly engaging with voters, noting, “He loves working the rope line and engaging voters, and so he gets in a good mood when he’s out on the road, and so the jokes come.” This approach was evident during Biden’s recent speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where he humorously took aim at Trump, indirectly calling him a “6-year-old” and poking fun at his numerous legal entanglements.
Relevant articles:
– Former Biden chief of staff says no ‘big’ strategy needed for Trump: He’s ‘busy taking himself down every day’, The Hill, 04/30/2024
– More people see Trump’s presidency as a success than Biden’s: Poll, Yahoo News Canada, Sun, 28 Apr 2024 16:58:28 GMT