Biden and Trump Take Divergent Paths in High Stakes Campaign Trail: Policy vs Legal Woes

As the primary season enters the fall rush, the front-runners for their party's nomination, former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, have taken a different approach when it comes to campaigning in crucial early-voting states. While their rivals are busy attending town halls and glad-handing with business owners across different states, Biden and Trump have been relatively absent from the campaign trail. Biden, who has held just one campaign rally since formally launching his 2024 reelection bid, has focused on governing and promoting his policy accomplishments. His approach mirrors that of past incumbents, including Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, who frequently promoted their achievements while keeping campaign costs low.

While Biden has attended fundraisers for his reelection campaign and visited battleground states on official business, he has not made a visit to South Carolina, the leadoff state for the Democratic National Committee's 2024 presidential primary. Meanwhile, Trump has complained that his legal troubles have prevented him from campaigning. He faces criminal charges in four separate jurisdictions related to his alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. However, his bookings and arraignments have served as his highest-profile campaign events, generating extensive media coverage.

Trump's team has stated that his schedule will ramp up after the Labor Day weekend, with planned trips to Iowa, South Dakota, and California, as well as behind-the-scenes efforts such as fundraising, relationship building, and endorsing candidates. Although Trump has not been actively campaigning, recent polls show that he is currently leading his closest rival by large margins. Both candidates have chosen different strategies as front-runners in the race.

\While Biden has focused on projecting an air of inevitability and promoting his policy achievements, Trump has prioritized dealing with his legal challenges and engaging in behind-the-scenes campaign efforts. Their relative absence from the campaign trail can be attributed to their dominant positions as front-runners, with Biden holding a significant lead over his primary opponents and Trump maintaining a large margin over his closest rival.