President Biden puts on sunglasses as he makes a joke about becoming "Dark Brandon" during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on April 29, 2023. Carolyn Kaster)/AP
A president only has a few chances during a reelection campaign to command the attention of the many voters who don’t follow the daily ins and outs of American politics. These moments include the acceptance speech at the nominating convention, the occasional Oval Office address (when world events call for one), and the State of the Union. Tonight, President Joe Biden needs to use this annual report to Congress to reinforce an essential message of his campaign: Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to American democracy. And he ought to do so in a big and bold manner.
Certainly, Biden will sell the accomplishments of his three years in office: his legislation that boosted infrastructure spending, lowered the prices of some prescription medicines (including insulin), spurred the domestic production of computer chips, expanded programs to address climate change, sped the delivery of Covid vaccinations, delivered broadband to rural areas, and established moderate gun safety measures. He will tout his success in leading NATO’s response to Russia’s horrific invasion of Ukraine. He will talk about pressing issues, including the war in Gaza and the crusade against women’s reproductive freedom in the United States. He will point to the positive economic indicators: employment (up!), inflation (down!), consumer confidence (up!). But he cannot let pass the chance to slam Trump in a unique fashion.
Biden will be standing in the House chamber, where three years ago violent insurrectionists attacked the US Congress, assaulting Capitol Hill police officers and sending lawmakers running for safety. They did so at the instigation of Trump, who incited them with his false claim that a conspiracy of Deep Staters, Democrats, the media, voting machine companies, election workers, and others (the Chinese!) had stolen the election from him. In this setting, where marauders ransacked the citadel of democracy, calling for the death of the vice president and shouting threats against the speaker of the House, Biden will have the opportunity to remind voters of that moment and note that the Republicans present in the room have decided that it would be fine to return to power the man responsible for all that.
Biden, no doubt, would like to promote himself as a bipartisan champion, and cite those bills he passed with GOP support. He will surely note that he collaborated with a bipartisan gang of senators to craft an immigration package that was then torpedoed by Republicans in the Senate and House at Trump’s urging. But this is also the time to place political niceties aside and hammer Trump and his cult.
Imagine the drama. Biden staring down GOP legislators and declaring something like: “Many of you, but not all of you, supported Donald Trump’s promotion of a baseless charge that led to violence in this very room and threatened our republic and the peaceful transfer of power. Afterward the Senate Republican leader plainly said, ‘There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.’ He also rightly criticized former President Trump for sitting idly by, watching the riot on television, and taking no action to stop the violence being waged by his supporters. The Republican leader in the House said the same, telling us that President Trump ‘bears responsibility’ for the ‘attack on Congress by mob rioters.'”
Then, after a pause: “And now you guys want to put this man back in office? A guy who caused a riot right here? Are you kidding me?”
Next, Biden could point out that Trump and his supporters have plans for increasing his power should he return to the White House, and those schemes include granting Trump far more control over the civil service, allowing him to order the Justice Department to launch criminal investigations of his political opponents, and using the Insurrection Act of 1782—which hands the president unchecked power to deploy the military on American streets—against any domestic opposition. “So,” Biden might say, “not only do you want to install in the White House a fellow who sent violent MAGA extremists into this building to overturn an election, you want to give him more power. No disrespect intended, but that’s nuts.”
Such talk would grab attention. If Biden could pull this off, it would demonstrate that he indeed has verve and vigor. There are several reasons why the age issue has been tougher for Biden than Trump, but one is that Trump is not afraid to show voters that he’s a mean SOB. In fact, that’s his brand. Though Trump’s speeches are full of verbal slips and trains of thought that run off the rails, the hateful anger he deploys can be seen by some voters as a sign of vitality. Aggression and malice can also be indications of mental decline, but in a public performance they can come across as displays of energy.
An aggressive, in-your-face move by Biden—one based on a completely accurate accusation—would show voters that he still has it (or, perhaps, enough of it). Bill Clinton once said that in politics it is better to be strong and wrong than weak and right. A flash of this sort of strength could help Biden address those questions about his age. It would have the benefit of being true and highlight one of the sharpest arguments against a Trump restoration. This is the moment to let Dark Brandon be Dark Brandon.
