Donald Trump Remains Low-Key as Biden Faces Scrutiny Over Political Future

Former President Donald Trump remains out of the public eye as President Joe Biden faces scrutiny over his mental fitness and reelection campaign. Trump's team closely monitors Biden's responses to challenging questions regarding his political future.

Donald Trump Stays Out of Public Eye as Biden Faces Scrutiny Over Mental Fitness and Reelection

Despite President Joe Biden's mental fitness and the status of his reelection campaign being public, former President Donald Trump remains out of the public eye, as he feels confident following last week's debate.

"We're trying something new and shutting up," one source described the Trump team's strategy.

ABC News has been informed by numerous sources who are close to Trump that they are closely monitoring and anticipating the responses of Biden and his campaign to challenging inquiries regarding his political future.

Biden will have a critical occasion to do so during a sit-down interview with ABC News's George Stephanopoulos on July 5. The initial excerpts will be broadcast on "World News Tonight," the interview will be transmitted in its entirety on a prime-time ABC network, particularly on July 5 evening at 8 p.m. ET.

This week, the White House reiterated that Biden was not contemplating resigning.

Trump and his campaign have publicly argued that Biden will ultimately become the Democratic nominee while simultaneously contending that he is insufficiently competent to endure through November.

Nevertheless, sources assert that the campaign is preparing for all possible outcomes. They then praise Trump's debate performance and the polling data they believe is trending in their favor.

For instance, the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee have dedicated the past week to emphasizing Vice President Kamala Harris's errors and criticizing her record. Harris has been the subject of speculation as a potential replacement for Biden in the event of his withdrawal.

"Joe Biden is weak, failed, dishonest, and not fit for the White House," senior campaign advisers Chris Lacivita and Susie Wiles wrote in a statement. "Every one of them has lied about Joe Biden's cognitive state and supported his disastrous policies over the past four years, especially Cackling Copilot Kamala Harris."

Donald Trump Criticizes Harris and Biden in Video, Remains Low-Key Ahead of Upcoming Campaign Events

This week, Trump was captured on camera outside the clubhouse of his Bedminster golf course, where he disparaged Harris and criticized Biden's prospects of reelection.

"I got him out of the race -- and that means we have Kamala," Trump said in a video someone covertly took of him and obtained by "The Daily Beast," which Trump later posted on his social media platform. "I think she's going to be better. She's so bad. She's so pathetic. She's just so f------ bad."

The Biden campaign responded to the video by compiling a catalog of some of the "bad" events under Trump.

“No, Donald. What is bad is taking away women’s rights; What is bad is losing an election and encouraging a violent mob to attack the Capitol," the Biden campaign said in a statement with more than 20 reasons -- including that he has a lousy golf game.

After the Supreme Court primarily ruled in his favor regarding presidential immunity, Trump has remained silent, allowing the Biden campaign's future to consume the news cycle, except for that video, a couple of radio interviews, and victory social media posts.

Trump delivered virtual remarks to veterans in Wisconsin and Florida on July 4. According to a post on his social media platform, he did so from Bedminster, New Jersey, where he has been residing for the past week.

Before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee later this month, he is scheduled to campaign in Butler, Pennsylvania, and Doral, Florida, next week. This will be his first public campaign appearance since the Virginia rally the day after the debate.

Trump's campaign schedule was relatively light this week, following a string of fundraising and campaigning events in the preceding weeks. This has been the case since the conclusion of his hush-money payment trial, which resulted in his release from the Manhattan courthouse. However, the jury found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York.

Since the trial concluded in late May, the former president has traveled nationwide, engaging in discussions with affluent donors on the West Coast and mobilizing voters in battleground states such as Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

In contrast, Biden has been making consecutive public appearances since the debate to reassure the American public that he is qualified for the position and to alleviate skepticism within his party. As president, Biden has participated in official White House events, held numerous campaign fundraisers, and visited significant and minor campaign stops.

Sources maintain that Trump has been at his most composed in recent months. He has finally had the opportunity to explore more of his political life, as the courtroom has been relatively silent.

Trump Uses Downtime to Focus on VP Selection and Convention Plans, Fundraises on Potential Announcement

Additionally, the downtime has enabled Trump to concentrate on selecting a vice-presidential candidate and organizing the convention, according to aides who spoke with ABC News.

Sources have informed ABC News that the selection of a running mate has yet to be finalized. However, the former president may choose to announce his choice before the party's convention, which commences on July 15.

The former president has also been fundraising from the potential announcement of his running companion and the news cycle this week. In a fundraising blast released on Friday morning, he claimed to supporters that Biden "could be dropping out."

Photo: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons