Former President Bill Clinton just made an unusual move and stormed back onto the presidential campaign trail on behalf of President Joe Biden’s lagging reelection efforts.
The unexpected move by Clinton comes as Biden’s team gears up for a rematch against former President Donald Trump, who has flipped polls from 2020 and currently leads.
It is highly unorthodox for a sitting president to rely so heavily — and publicly — on a former president for political advice and support.
However, the report by New York magazine suggests Biden’s team accepts that he is increasingly unpopular with the general electorate.
Chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border, along with lingering inflation and other economic concerns, have left Biden in a vulnerable position heading into 2024.
Biden is also facing an unexpectedly robust third-party challenge from the No Labels group – reminiscent of Ross Perot’s strong independent bid that so troubled Clinton’s rival, then-President George H.W. Bush, in 1992.
The two presidents have reportedly met multiple times at the White House, with Clinton counseling Biden on how to best combat Trump’s growing influence at the polls.
Most striking, however, is that Biden is also openly asking for involvement from Hillary Clinton as well, who had become a pariah to some Democratic leaders after her 2016 loss to Trump.
Hillary has been convening meetings with Democratic allies to drum up support for Biden’s campaign, while also keeping in close contact with Vice President Kamala Harris.
For the controversial Clinton family to play such a prominent, public role in boosting an incumbent Democratic president’s re-election bid is unusual — but the polling numbers suggest Biden has grown desperate.
Trump currently enjoys a 2.0 advantage in polling aggregates over Biden according to RealClearPolitics, a stunning 7.5-point shift from March 2020.
Biden being compelled to bring in backup from the Clintons seems to hint at his desperation — a 2024 election Hail Mary play.
The Horn editorial team