Biden Campaign Reportedly Unfazed By Trump's Potential Conviction, Plans To Maintain Election Strategy: 'Conventional Wisdom' Doesn't Apply To Ex-President

In the face of former President Donald Trump’s potential conviction in his New York criminal case, the Joe Biden campaign and its allies have reportedly chosen to stay their course.

What Happened: Despite the unique scenario of a major political figure running for president post-conviction, the Biden campaign is determined to keep its focus on key issues like abortion rights and democracy. The campaign is of the opinion that a guilty verdict for Trump would not significantly alter the trajectory of the presidential race, reported The New York Times.

This stance, however, has sparked controversy among Democrats, with many arguing that the Biden campaign should use Trump’s potential conviction to highlight his criminal status to voters.

On Tuesday, the Biden campaign organized a news conference outside the Manhattan courthouse where Trump’s trial is being held. The event featured actor Robert De Niro and two former U.S. Capitol Police officers. De Niro deviated from the campaign’s script, directly addressing the possibility of a Trump conviction.

"The fact is whether he's acquitted, whether it's hung jury, he is guilty — and we all know it," De Niro said. The Trump campaign accused Biden of staging a political stunt in response.

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If Trump is convicted, the Biden campaign’s social media team is contemplating branding him as "convicted felon Donald Trump" in its posts. However, the campaign is wary about fueling Trump's baseless claims that Biden orchestrated the criminal case.

"People shouldn't wait for a conviction to play a role in this election, because nothing with Trump has ever followed conventional wisdom," said Jim Messina, a trusted outside adviser for Biden's team.

The Biden campaign is also planning a tour of battleground states to highlight Trump's actions leading up to the Jan. 6 riot, an effort they believe will sway voters more than a guilty verdict in Manhattan.

Why It Matters: Trump faced an “upwards of 80 percent” chance of conviction in the hush money case, according to a poll. Despite this, the Biden campaign’s strategy indicates a belief that the election will hinge more on policy issues and Trump’s actions leading up to the Jan. 6 riot than on his legal troubles.

On Tuesday, De Niro spoke outside the courthouse during the hush money trial, criticizing Trump and warning that a Trump return to the White House would endanger American freedoms. De Niro’s speech coincided with his involvement in a new advertising campaign for President Joe Biden. Afterward, he clashed with pro-Trump protestors, with Trump sharing a video of the incident on Truth Social, according to a prior report.

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