In a recent interview on MSNBC, host Mika Brzezinski questioned Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler about the unusual choice to hold a campaign press conference outside the New York City courthouse where the trial of former President Donald Trump was drawing to a close.
Brzezinski expressed her reservations about the decision, suggesting that the location could give the impression that President Joe Biden was capitalizing on the politically charged trial. The press conference featured appearances from Tyler, actor Robert De Niro, and former Capitol Police Officers Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone.
Brzezinski queried Tyler, "I guess I have to ask you why you decided to speak there and to have the campaign show up at the courthouse? I dont know. It doesnt feel right to me at all."
Tyler defended the choice, stating, "We showed up there because the news media has been incessantly posted up there day in and day out for weeks, and so as we said last week, were going to use the next month to talk about the upcoming presidential debate in Atlanta and the things that Donald Trump is going to have to answer for." He then proceeded to outline a series of campaign talking points, emphasizing the need to 'remind people of the historic record of accomplishments since [Biden] took office.'
Brzezinski, however, remained focused on the issue of the press conference's location. She recalled her criticism of Congress members who had shown support for Trump at the courthouse, describing their actions as 'unbecoming of the office.' She asked Tyler, "Is there any concern about the campaign getting a little bit too close to these court proceedings and could that backfire? Any concerns? Looking back, was it a good decision?
Tyler dismissed these concerns, asserting, "No, theres no concern. This campaign is not speaking about the substance of the trial in any way, shape, or form. What we are talking about, what we talked about yesterday, and what well continue to talk about is the unique threat that Donald Trump poses to our democracy." He argued that the campaign was focused on highlighting the potential risks to the American people, rather than the implications for Trump.
Tyler reiterated that the event was intended to contrast the actions of Trump and Biden, stating, "We have to remind people of the historic record of accomplishments since [Biden] took office but also making sure people understand that everything Trump is talking about doing would only worsen the gap between the super-wealthy and the rest of us."
The event also saw De Niro launch into a fervent critique of Trump, asserting that a Trump election victory would be more devastating than the 9/11 attacks, as he believed it could lead to the destruction of not just the country, but potentially the world.
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