This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
As the US presidential election heats up, Joe Biden's low-key strategy is putting Donald Trump on the back foot. With 130 days to go until November's election, Biden has surged into a commanding lead despite holding few in-person events since mid-March.
But with campaign inflection points fast approaching, Biden must consider how to balance adhering to coronavirus safety measures and appearing as more than just a virtual candidate. "I don't see how that's sustainable through the fall election," professor Barry Burden, director of the Election Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told AFP.
"There will come a point where Biden will need to be a physical presence on the campaign trail, if only to reassure voters he is a real person, in good health and ready to serve," Burden added.
That coming out should occur in July, Burden said, so Biden can hone his public messaging and take advantage of the potent imagery of sharing a stage with his new vice presidential pick.
Trump, on the other hand, is adrift in troubling waters. Scientists say his coronavirus strategy has largely failed, and his former national security advisor John Bolton just accused him of being unfit for office.
The president was rebuked twice last week by a conservative-leaning Supreme Court on closely watched cases regarding immigration and gay rights.
And criticism has poured in over his handling of coast-to-coast protests against racial injustice, and how his toxic rhetoric served to stoke divisions.
Trump is increasingly turning to the economy as a potential re-election savior. A mild turnaround before the election could help the president and complicate Biden's message, according to Burden.
