Tipsheet

Democrats' 'New' Midterm Strategy Will Probably Usher in GOP Rule

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  May 02, 2022 2:30 PM

President Biden’s approval ratings are in the tank, gas prices are soaring, inflation is the highest it’s been in decades, the border crisis worsens by the day and Democrats aren’t pursuing policies that would help any of these matters. That’s why their midterm strategy is focused on Donald Trump. 

President Joe Biden and fellow Democrats have struggled to overcome historical headwinds and worrisome economic trends in the lead-up to the midterms.

So aides are scheming up something else: Turning the campaign into a contrast with Donald Trump and the Republicans.

President Joe Biden and his team are hoping to spend the spring and summer months drawing sharp distinctions with Republicans, one in particular. They still plan to push forth revived pieces of stalled agenda. But they’re also eagerly awaiting potentially explosive findings from the Jan. 6 select committee and hope those discoveries can inflame a battle brewing within the GOP over former Trump’s legacy and power. (Politico)

The Biden White House is also hoping the former president gets back on Twitter, despite the fact that Trump has pledged to stay on his own platform, Truth Social. 

The consensus among Biden aides about Trump’s possible return: it could cut both ways. While the former president would eat up an extraordinary amount of political oxygen, it’s also possible that he would push the Big Lie or feud with fellow Republicans and damage the GOP’s otherwise strong chances of regaining at least one house of Congress. The more the election becomes about Trump, the better the Democrats’ chances become, many in Biden’s orbit believe. (Politico)

The "new" strategy was roundly criticized by those on the left and right.