The Biden Family's New Tactic: Fighting the Establishment

Overzealous House Republicans have turned their own narrative on its head in the process are handing the political advantage to the Bidens

For months, or rather years at this point, we have heard many Republican talking points that make no sense in the real world but seem to make sense in the MAGA world. I’ll examine one today, namely the trope that Trump is being unfairly persecuted and all the indictments and impeachments and lawsuits simply make him more popular while further solidifying and increasing his voter base.

It makes some sense, and I have entertained the possibility so far, although very reluctantly. Typically, constant litigation and investigation are not considered strengths of political candidates. Usually, it weakens them and causes the loss of confidence of many of their supporters. But like so many things Trump, maybe this issue is one that will play out differently in his unique messianic world.

But one puzzling thing about MAGA that is very consistent and predictable, is that they are always “flooding the zone with shit”, much of which contradicts their most recent narrative, apparently in the hopes of overcoming every possible objection all at once. Also, they often behave in ways that contradicts their own narrative.

For example, why did Trump continually insist in his 2016 campaign that Hillary Clinton was unelectable because of all the investigations raining upon her? Why did “lock her up” become a chant at MAGA rallies, as though locking someone up would be damaging to their political career? Why did Trump and an ultra-loyal cadre try to influence Ukranian President Zelenskyy to announce an investigation of Joe Biden soon before the 2020 presidential campaign kicked in? Doesn’t this mean that persecution and prosecution is damaging to someone’s electoral prospects?

Also, why is there constant chatter about Joe Biden being investigated and potentially impeached by Republicans? Didn’t they say that impeachment was good for Trump because it would just make people be more sympathetic and make him more popular? Why wouldn’t the same things be said of Biden?

I admit there is some truth to this logic of unfair prosecutions being helpful to the subject. When someone is perceived as being wrongfully persecuted, then yes, this will cause sympathy and higher levels of support. It happened with Bill Clinton in 1998. The Republicans overplayed their hand when they zealously went after Clinton for infractions that could easily be argued were not “high crimes and misdemeanors”. And the American public responded by rewarding Clinton with increasing the Democrats’ seats in the house, the first time since the early 19th century that a President gained House seats in their second midterm elections.

The difference with Trump is that his offenses are more egregiously wrong and disturbing. Extorting another country’s president into a forced investigation of a political rival, executing a plot to create fake electors to confuse and disrupt the Electoral College certification while inciting an insurrection in order to remain in power after losing an election, and stealing classified government documents after leaving office are all pretty heinous activities that wouldn’t warrant more sympathy or support.

Trump and his Republican supporters have been using these accusations and subsequent investigations and indictments as proof of a corrupt system that’s unfairly out to get him. They say that Biden and Democrats are all coordinating this persecution in order to try to damage him and weaken him for the upcoming presidential election. Never mind the fact that they constantly talk about how this is only helping him. If that’s the case, then why don’t they support the indictments?

Obviously, they and anyone with a functioning logical brain can see that indictments are generally damaging to someone’s political viability. That’s why Republicans are constantly investigating Biden, and talking about impeaching him. It’s unlikely they will actually impeach him, but they understand that just by talking about it, it creates the impression that there is some undesirable or illegal behavior in which Biden has engaged.

It’s also why Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, has been a perpetual target of theirs. He’s pretty low-hanging fruit, as his behavior has been very deplorable. But he’s also being literally and appropriately prosecuted by the government for his wrongdoing, has admitted to his transgressions, and expressed remorse and rehabilitation. Joe Biden has nothing to do with his son’s behavior or illegal activity, but that hasn’t stopped Republicans from trying to make it seem otherwise.

But with all the constant investigations, innuendo, and impeachment threats, they are turning the narrative around on themselves. By wielding their iron-fisted power in the House, they are making it seem like they are the out-of-control establishment unfairly persecuting a political rival. By their own logic, this will probably help Biden in the same way it helped Democrats and Clinton in 1998. Not only do Republicans seem unhinged and drunk on power (see my article “The Stages of Political Drunkenness”), they also haven’t actually produced any proof of wrongdoing or illegality. They are constantly trying to persuade everyone that they’ve uncovered corruption, but nothing they show is actual proof, the narrative goes nowhere, and they look foolish and desperate.

Other than looking stupid themselves, they are helping the Bidens look like innocent lambs being unfairly taken to the slaughterhouse, which takes away that same narrative from the Trump prosecutions. On Wednesday, January 10, Hunter Biden played this narrative in an effectively theatrical way, by surprisingly showing up as a spectator to his own Congressional contempt hearing, and then getting up and leaving as the most controversial Republican of them all—Marjorie Taylor Greene—began to speak. It stole the reporters and all of the limelight away from the hearing and darkened what was supposed to be the House Republicans’ day in the sun.

By showing up and appearing willing to speak publicly, which he has repeatedly claimed he’s happy to do—as opposed to the subpoena for testimony behind closed doors—he turned the Republicans’ unjust persecution of the underdog narrative on its head and shifted it over to the Bidens. President Biden won’t be able to be so theatric in this way, as he’ll likely be wise to stay as much above the fray as possible. But his son and other surrogates in Congress and the media can certainly use this as a cudgel on the Republicans going into the 2024 elections.