Bill Press: If character really counts, count Trump out

U.S. President Joe Biden joins G7 leaders as they gather to watch a parachute drop at San Domenico Golf Club- Borgo Egnazia during day one of the 50th G7 summit on June 13, 2024, in Fasano, Italy.

It’s a good rule to think twice before using the word “never,” because you never know when an exception you hadn’t thought about will pop up. But I still think it’s safe to say that never – never, never, never!– have we seen a presidential election with such a stark difference between the two candidates. It’s like they don’t live on the same planet.

Pick any issue. Climate change, Ukraine, abortion, immigration, energy, health care, trade, gay rights, guns, the justice system, the Constitution. Biden and Trump are not only on opposite sides of every issue, but Trump’s extreme positions, especially on the rule of law and the Constitution, threaten to undermine democracy itself.

But nowhere was the contrast between Biden and Trump so manifest as it was in the way both handled two recent, headline-making federal trials: Trump’s own, and Biden’s son. The differences between their behavior inside and outside the courtroom should have a profound impact on the 2024 election.

For Trump, of course, it was all-out war from day one. Given the freedom to make statements no other defendant could get away with, he called the case a “witch hunt” and a “sham trial” organized by President Biden. He slammed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as a “Soros-backed prosecutor” pressured by Biden to take the case. He smeared Judge Juan Merchan as a “certified Trump hater,” a “devil,” and a “tyrant.” Before being slapped with a gag order, he even attacked the judge’s daughter and court staff. And, in remarks after the trial, he clearly violated the gag order by calling key prosecution witness Michael Cohen a “sleazebag.”

Bill Press

Outside the courtroom every day, with cameras rolling, Trump repeated the same pack of lies. This was all the work of the Biden Justice Department (not). This whole case was about election interference (not). He was denied his First Amendment rights (not). He was an innocent man who did nothing wrong, never had sex with Stormy Daniels, and didn’t know anything about hush money payments (not, not, not). And, after his conviction on 34 counts, he accused the entire United States system of justice of being “rigged” (not).

Again, imagine any other person on trial in any other courtroom allowed to get away with such outrageous behavior. Never happen!

Now contrast the obnoxious, whining, lying Trump with the perfect gentleman Biden. The federal case in Wilmington, Delaware, dealt with his son, Hunter, not Biden himself. Nevertheless, the president was tight-lipped and hands-off from the beginning.

When he took office, Biden could have fired Trump-appointed U.S. attorney David Weiss, who was then investigating Hunter. He didn’t. Later, he could have attacked the justice system when a Trump-appointed judge, Maryellen Noreika, killed Hunter’s planned plea agreement. Biden didn’t fire Attorney General Merrick Garland – in my opinion, he should have! – when he elevated Weiss to Special Counsel.

Biden didn’t attack Weiss for charging his son with a felony, even though there’s no way this one, weak, single gun possession case would have ever gone to trial anywhere – if Hunter’s last name were anything but Biden.

Indeed, that’s the ultimate irony. One of these two cases was purely political. But it was the Biden case, pursued only to embarrass the president, not the Trump case.

When Hunter went on trial in Wilmington, Biden did not attack the Trump-appointed judge, the Special Counsel, or any of the witnesses. He vowed ahead of time he would not pardon his son if convicted. And once the jury found him guilty, rather than rail against the entire judicial system, Biden said he would “accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.” He acknowledged his son’s previous addiction problems, but affirmed he’s “proud of the man he is today.”

In the end, we saw two trials, two men, and two responses. But what a difference between total class and total ass. And not only between the current and former presidents, but between the current and former first ladies. Melania Trump didn’t show up once to support her husband. Jill Biden was in the courtroom the first few days of the trial and made a special round-trip from France to be there with Hunter on the closing day.

Two men, two trials. Here’s the big take-away. It wasn’t about politics. Above all else, this was a test of character between the two. Joe Biden proved he’s a good, decent, law-abiding man. That’s something Donald Trump’s never been accused of.

(Bill Press is host of The BillPressPod, and author of 10 books, including: “From the Left: My Life in the Crossfire.” His email address is: [email protected]. Readers may also follow him on Twitter @billpresspod.)

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.