President Joe Biden will reportedly address the verdict in former President Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial.
According to Politico, the president will give a public address from the White House lawn after the jury reaches a verdict, which can happen as early as next week. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday.
The outlet noted that regardless of the outcome, Biden would stress that the U.S. legal system works and that Americans can trust the system whether Trump is found guilty or acquitted.
“Four people familiar with internal deliberations” within the Biden Administration said that the president will address the verdict from the White House and not at a campaign event to avoid it appearing like Biden is making a political statement.
“This is an important moment and the president first and foremost needs to stress that the American system works, even and especially in an election year,” Politico wrote, citing one of the sources close to Biden. “And in a measured way, it becomes part of his argument against Trump too: Do Americans really want this?”
The New York Post also revealed that the Biden Administration is planning on referring to the 45th president as “Convicted Felon Donald Trump” in social media posts should the jury find him guilty.
The Biden Administration will also reportedly argue that Trump is not suited to serve another four years in office if the verdict finds him guilty.
Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to his alleged hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign. Trump has denied all allegations brought against him.
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On Saturday, Trump criticized the Biden Administration and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, accusing the trial of being nothing more than “election interference.”
A recent Cook Political Report poll found that swing state voters are more concerned with Biden’s age and ability to stay in office another four years than Trump’s criminal cases.
Respondents were asked if Trump’s “temperament and legal issues” or Biden’s “age and ability to perform his duties” were more troubling. 53 percent of people indicated that Biden’s inability to make it through a speech without slurring his words was more concerning the politically motivated charges brought against Trump.
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