Biden Takes a Breather from 'Elder Risk' Amid Trump’s Bombshell Remarks... Shifts to Offensive

The Biden administration has launched a counteroffensive after being put on the defensive by former U.S. President Donald Trump's bombshell remarks encouraging Russia to attack NATO member countries that do not bear defense costs.

The New York Times (NYT) analyzed on the 12th (local time) that while President Biden has been hampered by issues related to his advanced age, former President Trump’s shocking NATO comments effectively rescued Biden.

At a rally on the 10th, former President Trump said that even if Russia attacks NATO allies who do not pay defense costs, the U.S. would not protect them, and instead encouraged Russia to take whatever it wants.

In response, the Biden administration launched an attack. President Biden issued a statement the previous day, calling Trump’s remarks a "green light" for Russia to attack not only Ukraine but also Poland and the Baltic states, describing them as "terrible and dangerous." He also criticized Trump as "a man who, on his first day back in the White House, pledged to rule like the dictators he admires," calling the remarks predictable.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller rebutted at a briefing that day, saying, "NATO is not an alliance where only the U.S. contributes; it is an alliance from which we all gain a great deal."

The atmosphere is said to have shifted due to former President Trump’s bombshell remarks. On the 8th, Robert Hur, the special counsel investigating President Biden’s alleged illegal document leaks, pointed out significant memory issues with Biden in his closing report. President Biden held a press conference to explain but was put on the defensive amid controversy over his age.

However, the NYT noted that Biden’s age-related risks have not disappeared because of Trump’s remarks. The damage had already been done. Yet, quickly changing the subject when under attack is a traditional strategy in U.S. politics, and in this regard, former President Trump’s actions aligned with the Biden campaign’s strategy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.