(Scypre.com) – President Joe Biden’s campaign took a bold step on Tuesday, making a public appearance outside former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York City. With actor Robert De Niro and two former police officers, they aimed to shift the presidential race’s focus back to Trump’s involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
This marked a significant change in strategy for Biden’s team, which had largely stayed out of the trial’s spotlight for the past six weeks. Now, they sought to leverage the high drama of the trial’s closing moments by sending De Niro and the first responders who were present at the Capitol during the insurrection. Initially cautious about fueling Trump’s narrative that his legal troubles were politically driven, Biden’s campaign decided it was crucial to engage, given the trial’s dominance in the media.
A top Biden adviser clarified that their presence wasn’t to discuss the trial directly. De Niro and the officers avoided referencing the criminal case, instead capitalizing on the media’s attention. However, Trump’s advisers countered with their own press conference, asserting that the Biden team’s actions confirmed Trump’s claims of political persecution. Michael Tyler, Biden’s campaign communication director, highlighted their intent to address the gathered media rather than the trial itself.
The press conferences, held back-to-back, added an extra layer of drama to the courthouse proceedings. Inside, closing arguments were underway in Trump’s only trial likely to conclude before the November election. Two other cases—one federal, related to Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, and a state case in Georgia accusing him of election interference—are also pending. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In a new campaign ad, narrated by De Niro, Biden’s team sharply criticized Trump’s presidency and warned of the potential consequences if he were re-elected. De Niro, speaking to reporters, painted a grim picture of Trump’s return to the White House, saying it would endanger American freedoms. He mocked Trump’s business failures and self-promotion, portraying himself as a true New Yorker standing against Trump’s alleged desire to destroy the city and country.
Former police officers Michael Fanone and Harry Dunn shared their harrowing experiences from January 6. Fanone recounted his injuries inflicted by the mob trying to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory, while Dunn warned Americans to take the threat seriously and act at the ballot box to prevent Trump from returning to power.
In response, Trump’s campaign staffers held their own news conference. Senior adviser Jason Miller dismissed De Niro as a “washed-up actor” and accused Biden’s team of politicizing the trial. Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s press secretary, labeled the Biden campaign as “desperate” and described their event as an admission that the trial was politically motivated.