BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

Breaking

Edit Story

‘No One Cares’: Top Conservatives Warn Trump’s Hunter Biden Fixation Will Backfire

Following
This article is more than 3 years old.
Updated Oct 22, 2020, 05:52pm EDT

Topline

Prominent conservative commentators are warning that the Trump campaign’s focus on salacious, unproven allegations of corruption involving Hunter Biden and his father, Democratic candidate Joe Biden, could have negative electoral consequences as Trump seeks  a comeback in the final days of the campaign.

Key Facts

Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen – who has defended Trump’s handling of the pandemic and said he won the first debatewrote Tuesday that while conservatives are “rightly outraged” by social media suppression of a suspiciously sourced New York Post story that’s made the latest claims in the long-running saga, the election is “not going to turn on Hunter Biden.”

Thiessen conceded that while it may help Trump energize the base, the Hunter Biden allegations likely won’t help him win over the undecided voters he needs to overcome his dire polling deficit, instead urging him to focus on his economic record.

Fox News personality and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee – whose daughter served as Trump’s second press secretary – said Wednesday Trump’s focus on the story is a “mistake” because, “The average person doesn't understand it, it is too complicated.”

Conservative pollster Frank Luntz took it one step further in an interview with Mediaite published Thursday, calling Trump’s operation “the worst campaign I’ve ever seen” due to their focus on the story.

“No one cares,” Luntz said of the Hunter Biden story, adding that, if it is their focus over the next 48 hours, “Donald Trump will not win this election” because it will only satisfy his base.

But the Trump campaign doesn’t appear to be heeding that advice with just 12 days until the election: in addition to inviting a central figure in the story as Trump’s guest to the final debate, the Trump campaign refused to answer any questions not on the story in a press call on Thursday that was billed as a pre-debate call.

Chief Critic

“We feel strongly this is an issue the American people are eager to know about,” Trump surrogate Richard Grenell said on the press call, asking several reporters “have you reported on the Biden emails?” and snapping “don’t be homophobic” to NPR reporter Tamara Keith as she tried to press him on a question about the debate. 

Tangent

Grenell told reporters he has held “5 or 6 events a day” for Trump in swing states and asserted, “At every single event, people know about these Biden emails.” However, given that those events are likely to be predominantly attended by firm Trump backers, it does little to prove the story resonates with voters outside Trump’s base.

Crucial Quote

"None whatsoever,” Biden said when asked in an interview with Wisconsin ABC affiliate WISN whether there’s any validity to the story. Biden called the story “garbage” pushed by “Trump's henchman,” Rudy Giuliani, and dismissed it as “a last-ditch effort in this desperate campaign to smear me and my family.”

Big Number

17%. That’s the share of likely voters who said in a Survey USA/Cheddar poll released Wednesday who identified coronavirus as their top issue in the election, with 16% saying the economy, 13% saying defeating Donald Trump, 9% saying reelecting Donald Trump and 8% saying health care. Biden led Trump in that poll by 10 points, 53% to 43%, with only 16% of Trump supporters saying their vote is more against Biden than for Trump.

Follow me on TwitterSend me a secure tip