As President Joe Biden is rumored to soon announce a 2024 bid for re-election, the developing investigation into several batches of classified documents found in his possession could cause turmoil for a potential campaign.
According to Fox News Digital, The recent discovery of classified documents at the Penn Biden Center and in two separate locations at the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, is a serious issue that should not be taken lightly.
This is not an ideal situation for a president seeking re-election, particularly as it opens Biden up to GOP attacks. The fact that a special prosecutor has been appointed is a clear indication of the gravity of the situation. It’s never good when there’s a special prosecutor appointed.
It’s definitely not a place I’d want to be in as we try to put the pieces together of a re-election campaign,” said a Democratic strategist and veteran of presidential campaigns, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely.
But some Democrats are trying to downplay the significance of this scandal, claiming that it will not affect Biden’s decision to run for re-election.
“I think the president from what I’ve seen and heard has made up his mind to run, and clearly he knew that this was likely to be an issue when the documents were turned over last fall, he was down with his family in the Caribbean.
And all indications are that he’s running for office, and that he plans to run hard and win,” said Kevin Walling, a Democratic strategist.
However, Fox News’ conservative commentator Tomi Lahren has speculated that the Democratic Party might use the situation to separate themselves from Biden and recruit a new Democrat nominee for the 2024 election.
The fact that Democrats are even discussing this possibility is a clear indication of how much of a liability this scandal is for the party.
Brad Woodhouse, a Democratic strategist, told Fox News Digital the “misplaced” classified documents would be an issue in 2024. “I don’t think President Biden’s textbook approach to correctly handling the discovery of misplaced documents will have any impact on his re-election if he decides to run,” Woodhouse said, saying that the controversy does not compare to that of the documents found at Trump’s home. “The difference between the two is apples and rotten oranges.”
However, the truth is that this scandal alone will prevent President Biden from pursuing a second term, but it weakens one of his primary lines of attack against former President Trump if he is the GOP nominee,” Giancarlo Sopo, a Republican strategist, told Fox News Digital. “The biggest risk for Democrats is that it could demoralize their voters, especially if the DOJ’s investigation escalates.”
“President Biden handed the GOP a potent political gift,” said Republican strategist Colin Reed. “Just ask former President Hillary Clinton how questions about the mishandling of classified information can impact the prospects of a campaign.
It’s a non ideological issue that resonates with voters across the spectrum. Biden’s ability to weather the storm will determine not only the prospect of his 2024 chances, but also the remainder of his first term.”
Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic campaign strategist, told Fox News Digital that the content of the documents will determine whether a Biden re-election is attainable — but he fully expects Republicans to use Biden’s classified documents investigation as ammunition.
It’s clear that the recent discovery of classified documents at the Penn Biden Center and in two separate locations at the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, is a serious issue that should not be taken lightly. President Joe Biden’s ability to weather this storm will determine not only the prospect of his 2024 chances, but also the remainder of his first term.