The Presidential Achilles Heel; A death by a thousand paper cuts
During the last winter break, President Biden was braced with a new controversy that could doom his Presidency. The uncovering of multiple classified documents in an office closet at his Washington- District of Colombia think-tank and in his green Corvette. Marking a serious blow, at the very least, this constitutes extreme negligence toward protecting the secrets of the United States of America. However, handling these documents is far more than extreme negligence, but a true threat to the security of the United States. Additionally, President Biden criticized former President Trump for possessing classified documents at his private residence. Biden’s criticism of former President Trump for the very sin he committed, demonstrates a new level of hypocrisy on his part. Beyond that, however, Biden’s refusal to own up to this dereliction of duty when protecting the secrets of the United States speaks to his moral character or lack of. Also, the President’s son Hunter’s closeness to these documents in the Biden home is a potential secret risk, with his sketchy business dealings in Ukraine and China. Hunter had access to his father’s garage and Corvette. It is not out of the realm of possibility that Hunter read such sensitive material.
It is important to acknowledge that former President Trump’s failure to turn over sensitive documents is still a pressing issue. It is clear as day that President Biden threw stones at a glass house when he criticized Trump’s handling of classified documents. But such hypocrisy does not exonerate Trump of legal and moral culpability for his prospective crimes. Both figures are in trouble.
Politically, this weakens President Biden’s hand for the upcoming 2024 Presidential election. It certainly is a rock around his neck and adds a sense of danger to his potential candidacy in the 2024 democratic primary. But at the same time, Trump’s odds are not improving either. If anything, it encourages the Republican party to ditch Trump and nominate another candidate, and then intensify their attack on Biden. We shall see the ramifications in the upcoming cycle.