Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain on Sunday dismissed the need for President Biden to have a “big political strategy” against former President Trump, arguing the former president does enough harm to himself.
“I don’t think it’s a big political strategy to take down Donald Trump. I think Trump is busy taking himself down every day,” Klain said Sunday during an interview with MSNBC host and former White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
“And it’s important, though, for the president to make the contrast between the kind of presidency he’s brought and what he’ll do for four more years, and Donald Trump has done, what Trump himself is saying he’s going to if he gets the chance to come back to the White House,” he added.
Klain’s remarks were in response to Psaki, who pointed to Biden’s speech at this weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, where he poked fun at the former president.
When asked what he thinks of Biden’s strategy to “needle” Trump, Klain said, “I think it’s the party of it.”
“I think the president loves to campaign. He loves being out there with people. He loves working the rope live and engaging voters, and so he gets in a good mood when he’s out on the road, and so the jokes come,” Klain continued.
Biden, during his speech Saturday night, levied a series of attacks against Trump, indirectly calling him a “six-year-old” and poking fun at the former president’s numerous criminal battles.
Biden and Trump have both picked up the delegates needed to win their respective party nominations in this year’s presidential race, setting up for a repeat of their 2020 matchup.
The race is looking to be a competitive rematch, with polling averages from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ showing Trump up by less than a half a point over Biden.
Klain applauded the Biden campaign’s media strategy, including presenting the incumbent in “non-traditional outlets.”
Psaki pointed to Biden’s interview with radio host Howard Stern last week about his personal life and his presidency.
“Yes. I think they’re doing a great job with it,” Klain said.” I think that getting the president out there more, I think the more people see him, I think the more they like him, and the more they remember why they like him.”
“I think sometimes when you’re president, you get stuck inside the White House, you get stuck inside the Rose Garden. You need to get out to engage with people on the kinds of things that brought you to the White House, then for that, that’s his decency, his humanity, what he believes in, what he stands for,” he continued.
The Hill has reached out to Trump’s campaign for comment.
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