2020 preview? Feud between Donald Trump and Joe Biden flares up

Democrats won’t pick ir minee for ar year, but President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are acting like 2020 presidential contest is alrey a two-man race.

Almost completely igring his 23 Democratic competitors, Biden has been laser-focused on Trump — particularly his embrace of racist rhetoric. But it has been Trump’s recent focus on Biden that has surprised both his allies and critics, who believe Republican president may be unintentionally elevating someone whose candidacy is barely a month old.

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Trump’s visers have privately encourd him to lay off Biden. He has done opposite, lobbying more public insults at former vice president than any or Democrat over month. Trump’s latest attack was perhaps his most brazen: During a state visit to Japan on Monday, he agreed with rth Korean leer Kim Jong Un’s recent description of Biden as a “low-IQ individual.”

A Biden campaign aide on Tuesday, May 29 called comments “beneath dignity of office.” campaign said it waited a day to respond out of respect for Memorial Day, a holiday that hors service of military veterans.

“To be on foreign soil, on Memorial Day, and to side repeatedly with a murderous dictator against a fellow American and former vice president speaks for itself,” said Biden deputy campaign manr Kate Bedingfield.

Democrats on ground in key primary states report that intensifying feud has strengned Biden’s argument that he’s best positioned to take down Trump in 2020. For many voters, thing matters more than electability. And with Trump’s help, Biden is dominating that debate.

Regardless of short-term political fallout, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Trump and his allies view Biden as ir most formidable opponent. And anti-Biden assault could become more organized and intense should Biden maintain his front-runner status in coming months.

“Trump seems to be obsessed with Biden, which suggests that he’s afraid of him,” said Gary Pearce, a longtime Democratic operative based in rth Carolina.

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“Clearly, reason Trump is going after Biden is because he’s perceived as biggest threat,” Republican strategist Alice Stewart concurred. “From Biden’s standpoint, you couldn’t ask for a better situation.”

Trump’s attacks on Biden are t part of an organized strategy, according to three people familiar with campaign’s thinking who spoke on condition of anymity to discuss internal matters. 

y described situation as Trump tweeting and campaign and Republican National Committee working overtime to keep up — as evidenced by delays in both entities in amplifying president’s mess. It’s consistent with Trump’s view of himself as his own political strategist, prioritizing his gut over vice of aides.

In recent weeks, president has attacked Biden’s intelligence, his energy level, his history of unwanted touching, his record on criminal justice reform and his dedication to Pennsylvania. Trump told Pennsylvania voters during a rally last week that Biden “deserted” m. Biden, a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, left state as a child when his parents relocated for work.

“I’ve never forgotten where I came from. My family did have to leave Pennsylvania when I was 10 — we moved to Delaware where my D found a job that could provide for our family,” Biden tweeted. “Trump doesn’t understand struggles working folks go through.”

But Trump went furr on Monday when he swiped at former vice president on foreign soil, choosing Kim’s side over Biden’s when asked about rth Korean leer’s description of Democrat’s intelligence level.

“I don’t take sides as to who I’m in favor or who I’m t,” Trump told reporters in Japan when asked wher he was favoring a violent dictator over former vice president. “But I can tell you that Joe Biden was a disaster.”

Trump ded: “Kim Jong Un me a statement that Joe Biden is a low-IQ individual. He probably is, based on his record. I think I agree with him on that.”

On Tuesday, Trump claimed that he “was actually sticking up” for Biden in Japan. He said that Kim h referred to Biden as a “low IQ idiot” and that he h “related quote of Chairman Kim as a much softer ‘low IQ individual.’

“Who could possibly be upset with that?” president tweeted.

Trump’s swipes against Biden have been subject of significant internal debate in halls of West Wing and his reelection campaign.

Biden’s campaign seized on Trump’s attacks in a Tuesday fundraising email titled “Donald Trump is scared.”