President Joe Biden broke his near-silence on his predecessor’s second impeachment trial on Saturday, as the case against Donald Trump came to an end. “While the final vote did not lead to a conviction, the substance of the charge is not in dispute,” Biden said in a statement after the Senate, in a 57-43 vote, acquitted Trump of inciting the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. “This sad chapter in our history has reminded us that democracy is fragile. That it must always be defended,” Biden said, commending Americans who have taken on that responsibility, from those “who bravely stood guard that January day” to election officials and poll workers “who demonstrated the courage to protect the integrity of our democracy” before and after November’s race. The president called Trump’s impeachment a grave reminder “to defend the truth and to defeat the lies,” laying out “the task ahead” for the nation.
Until Saturday, Biden had tactically avoided weighing in on the damning case against his predecessor, fearing that doing so could distract from his agenda. With impeachment in the rearview, Biden “takes center stage now in a way that the first few weeks didn’t allow,” Jennifer Palmieri, who served as communications director in the Obama White House, told the New York Times, describing the conclusion of the trial as the unofficial beginning of the administration. “2021 can finally start,” said Palmieri (who is also a Vanity Fair contributing editor). Indeed, the end of impeachment-related drama puts renewed focus on Biden’s priorities, particularly his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. The success of Biden’s pandemic response in comparison to Trump is “where he will gain political capital,” said Joe Lockhart, who served as press secretary for President Bill Clinton, noting the end of the trial “clears the way for people to focus on that” juxtaposition.
According to the Times, Biden is pressing for quick passage of his coronavirus relief bill before moving on to other policy items in Congress, including infrastructure, immigration, criminal justice reform, climate change, and health care. The White House is moving quickly to capitalize on the restored spotlight on Biden’s agenda, with top aides reportedly commencing internal meetings in recent days to tackle the next phase of his plan and how it will be enacted. Further, the Times reports that Biden will take his first major trip outside of Washington this week, with a CNN town-hall-style event on Tuesday in Milwaukee and another stop elsewhere in the country later this week.
Even as the Trump drama recedes post-impeachment, Biden’s agenda nevertheless serves as reminder of the last four years in that much of it is aimed at dismantling Trump’s policies. Not to mention, the former president’s ongoing grip on the Republican party looms over bipartisan cooperation that Democrats will need to press forward, the Times notes. Congressional Republicans have balked at Biden’s coronavirus recovery plan, opposition which complicates the White House’s swift calls for action and simultaneous emphasis on cutting deals across party lines. However, the GOP, still coping with their loss of the Senate and the White House, has yet to unify around a consistent attack on Biden’s plans, and Biden may be able to use “the lack of a cohesive Republican argument” to his advantage in rallying public support for his agenda, Palmieri notes.
Despite hurdles with GOP lawmakers in Washington, Biden’s coronavirus recovery plan has support from Republican mayors and governors across the country. The Washington Post reports that a broad majority of Americans support the relief measure, including a large number of Republicans. “It’s not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue,” said Fresno mayor Jerry Dyer. “It’s a public health issue. It’s an economic issue. And it’s a public safety issue.” Polls have shown only a minority among Republican voters aligning with GOP lawmakers that the federal aid package is too big, according to the Post. “I don’t know of any city that hasn’t been affected negatively,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said, adding: “Support for cities and states is way overdue.” During a Monday appearance on MSNBC, Biden senior adviser Cedric Richmond pointed to support for Republican mayors and governors and said “the question becomes whether those Republicans in the Congress will do what their constituents want them to do and that is to support this plan.”
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair
— Embedding With Pentagon Leadership in Trump’s Final, Frenzied Days
— Donald Trump Refused to Take ‘No’ From Women—And Then From America Itself
— How Trump’s COVID Chaos Drowned the FDA in Junk Science
— Inside the Epic Bromance of Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump
— After Wrecking the Country, Jared and Ivanka Plot Vacation Plans
— Can Trump’s Cult of Followers Be Deprogrammed?
— Trump Makes an Exit With His Brand in Tatters
— From the Archive: How Donald Trump Turned Palm Beach Against Him
— Not a subscriber? Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now.