Why Republican Biden fixation may distract from Trump’s priorities
Republicans probe Biden presidency, concentrating on autopen use and mental fitness, risking efforts to positively define second Trump term
The House has launched investigations asserting that Biden’s closest advisers covered up a physical and mental decline during the 82-year-old Democrat’s presidency. The Senate has started a series of hearings focused on his mental fitness.
It all fits with Trump’s practice of blaming his predecessors for the nation’s ills. Just last week, he tried to deflect criticism of his administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case by casting blame on others, including Biden.
Turning the spotlight back on the former president carries risks for both parties heading into the 2026 midterms.
The more Republicans or Democrats talk about Biden, the less they can make arguments about the impact of Trump’s presidency – positive or negative – especially his sweeping new tax cut and spending law that is reshaping the federal government.
“Most Americans consider Joe Biden to be yesterday’s news,” Republican pollster Whit Ayres said.