Trump's run began last week during the first debate, when Biden delivered a performance so dismal that he has spent the days since fending off calls from alarmed Democrats to step aside to save the party from losses up and down the ballot.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, limiting the indictment against Trump for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden. It's all but certain he won't face trial before Election Day.
And on Tuesday, the judge in Trump's New York criminal hush money trial postponed his sentencing to weigh the impact of the Supreme Court decision.
The flood of good news — along with a major fundraising haul that has eliminated what had been Biden’s substantial cash advantage — has given Trump and his team cause for celebration as they head into the convention this month.
Instead of taking a victory lap, Trump has been lying low. While he sat for several radio interviews over the weekend and has been active on his Truth Social site, he has no public events on his schedule this week.
That’s partially a function of the calendar with the Fourth of July on Thursday. But Trump’s team, recognizing that Biden’s campaign faces intense pressure, is perfectly happy to keep the focus on the incumbent, according to people familiar with the strategy who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the campaign’s thinking.
Brendan Buck, a Republican strategist who's not a Trump supporter, credited the ex-president for what he called an “uncharacteristically disciplined” response to the debate and for “letting Biden sort of twist in the wind.”
