Brian. Beutler: “If Donald Trump still believed Biden was his toughest possible opponent, as he did five years ago, he’d be calling for Biden to suspend his campaign, and for the cabinet to depose Biden via the 25th amendment.”
“Instead, Trump loyalists write off discussion of a horse-change as ‘mental masturbation.’ They want Biden to stay in because they believe he is the easiest to beat, perhaps fatally weakened.”
“That’s not totally dispositive. Donald Trump has many questionable political instincts. It’s easy to imagine him underestimating Biden or overestimating potential alternates. But the Trump campaign does have access to data, and Trump himself has a strong instinct for self-preservation. The fact that they want to steer Dems away from swapping Biden out is telling. The people close to Biden ought to take it seriously.”
