A former Trump administration aide warned former President Trump not to attack Hunter Biden during Thursday night’s first presidential debate, saying the move could easily “backfire” and even damage Biden’s reputation.
Former White House Deputy Communications Director Sarah Matthews Wednesday’s MSNBC interview He argued that Biden’s condemnation of Trump’s felony convictions and denial of the 2020 election results was the quickest way to “make him angry.”
“If they attack him as a convicted felon, Trump could take the bait,” she said, “and then he might lobby against Joe Biden because his own son was recently convicted of a crime. I think that would work in Biden’s favor because it would show that there is an equal justice system.”
She cited the 2020 election debates as an example, saying Trump’s attacks on Hunter Biden’s drug addiction led to a tender moment where Biden showed fatherly compassion that resonated with voters.
“It was a moment where the American people saw what a good father he was, and it actually made them like him more out of sympathy,” she said. “There are a lot of families out there who can relate to his struggles, so I think if they decide to go down that path and Trump decides to attack Hunter Biden in retaliation, that could actually backfire on him.”
Matthews also noted that the Trump campaign has set a low bar for Biden, consistently attacking him because of his age and alleging he has mental health issues — and argued that these low expectations work to the president’s advantage.
“I think what we’ve seen from Trump and his campaign indicates that he’s actually a little anxious about what’s going to happen tomorrow,” she said.
“They’re trying to set the bar a little bit higher, which is pretty difficult because they’ve constantly attacked Biden’s intellectual acuity and then they seem to be setting the bar so low for Biden,” she continued. “So if Biden shows up tomorrow night and seems responsible and engaged, I think he’s going to put in a strong performance. So I know Trump and his team are worried about that.”
