Jun 5, 2019

Scoop: Trump to hit Biden as globalist on trade issues

Jonathan Swan

Joe Biden in New Hampshire on Tuesday. Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Watch for Trump allies to begin framing Joe Biden as a free-trading globalist who would undo the president's trade agenda.

Why it matters: Trump will try to direct the conversation with his megaphone, and invite attacks on Biden from the left.

  • Trump allies say that when 2020 candidates to Biden’s left inevitably start hitting him on his free-trade past, Republicans will piggyback to try to undermine him ahead of a potential general election fight in the Rust Belt.
  • Expect them to begin asking questions like: What specifically will Biden do with China? Will he lift President Trump's tariffs? How does Biden defend his past advocacy for NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership?
  • This could be months away, but it's already a hot topic in Trumpworld.

The backdrop: Team Trump is worried about the former vice president.

  • Internal Trump polls have Biden substantially ahead in the Rust Belt.

The other side: "Trump’s trade war could hit his base of voters most," via CNBC.

Go deeper: Trump’s Biden obsession

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