Trump and Biden's Statements Last Night Offered a Road Map to Their Themes Over the Next Eight Months

As expected, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump waltzed to dominant Super Tuesday victories in their respective nominating contests last night. Yes, each prohibitive frontrunner suffered some setbacks and red flags: Biden again lost substantial chunks of Democratic votes to 'uncommitted' in various states, and somehow fell to a no-name challenger in American Samoa, while Trump dropped Vermont to Nikki Haley and continues to struggle in upscale, suburban swing areas that will be key in November. But overall, these were runaway victories, further cementing the overwhelming likelihood of a 2020 rematch. Both men reacted to the results by telegraphing the broad strokes of their general election messaging. Trump made the case -- to which a great many voters are receptive, according to polls -- that individuals, families and the country in general benefited from his presidency, and that Biden has made conditions appreciably worse on multiple fronts (the economy, inflation, illegal immigration, global instability, etc). Call it the "better off under Trump" argument:

A bit rambling and meandering, as usual, but this victory speech is the Trump general election pitch: Things were better when we were in charge, and they’re worse now — across many metrics and issues.

And a *lot* of voters agree with that general sentiment, beyond the Trump…
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) March 6, 2024

Here's the full speech:

Biden's campaign also laid out how they'll prosecute a general election with a statement released around the same time Trump was speaking. It refers to Trump as an "existential threat" to the country, warning that Trump would "drag" America back to "chaos, division and darkness." It also framed the upcoming election as an essential moment to "defend democracy." Call it the "we cannot empower that man again" argument:

Biden statement: "Are we going to keep moving forward or will we allow Donald Trump to drag us backwards into the chaos, division, and darkness that defined his term in office?" pic.twitter.com/cNZvofKsqE
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) March 6, 2024

The claims of progress and so-called achievements are almost ancillary, and based on approval numbers, most Americans don't buy them. Democrats fared historically well with this generalized message in the midterms. They're going to lean heavily on it again this year, as they've made clear from the moment the Biden re-election effort was announced. Every major step of the campaign has featured this theme.

Parting thought: It also seemed fitting that Trump delivered a 20-minute speech in front of hundreds of supporters in a packed ballroom, while Biden's campaign hit 'send' on a pre-written statement, quite possibly with the candidate already in bed, asleep. Once again, Trump will be out front this cycle, while the Biden camp will hide their man to the greatest extent possible. This was a beneficial dynamic for Team Biden four years ago. Will it remain so, amid deep dissatisfaction with the incumbent's job performance, and arguably deeper concerns about his age and fitness for office?

UPDATE: