President Joe Biden’s campaign is seizing an opportunity presented by a video shared by former President Donald Trump, which featured a fake newspaper article referencing a “unified Reich” if Trump is reelected in 2024. This video aligns with Biden’s central argument from his 2020 campaign that the country cannot afford to give Trump another four years in office. Biden has incorporated Trump’s use of language associated with Nazi Germany into his messaging, emphasizing the threat he believes Trump poses in a potential second term.
The video has since been removed from Trump’s Truth Social account, but Biden has utilized it to highlight Trump’s rhetoric, particularly comments that Biden views as reminiscent of Hitler’s Germany. Biden has made Trump’s statements the focus of campaign fundraisers, social media posts, and fundraising emails. He has emphasized that Trump’s language is not reflective of American values and characterizes it as concerning, suggesting that the threat posed by Trump would be even greater in a second term.
The term “reich” in the video is linked to Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, with references to the creation of a unified Reich in the hypothetical future after Trump’s reelection. Biden’s campaign has aimed to portray Trump’s messaging as dangerous and authoritarian, drawing parallels to past dictators. Trump’s spokesperson clarified that the video was not created by the campaign but was reposted by a staffer without closely reviewing its content.
Despite facing challenges in getting voters to perceive his policy record as successful during the 2024 campaign, Biden’s campaign has embraced a strategy of confronting Trump and emphasizing the potential threat of his return to office. They have highlighted instances where Trump’s language and actions are compared to those of historical totalitarian regimes, seeking to underscore the importance of preventing Trump from gaining power again. Biden has criticized Trump’s behavior as unbecoming of a former president and not representative of American leadership.
During Trump’s ongoing legal trial in New York, Biden’s campaign has indirectly responded to the former president’s actions without directly involving Biden in commentary on the case. Biden has used social media to subtly critique Trump and highlight moments like the “unified Reich” reference, framing Trump’s language as divisive and concerning. Biden has positioned himself as a leader focused on the well-being of the American people, contrasting his approach with what he sees as Trump’s fixation on retaining power at any cost.
In conversations with donors and public statements, Biden has reiterated his concerns about Trump’s rhetoric and behavior, emphasizing that it falls below the standard expected of American presidents. He has characterized Trump as unhinged and solely motivated by a desire to overturn his 2020 election loss. Biden’s campaign has underscored the importance of preventing a second Trump term, presenting it as a critical choice for the future of the country.
