Former Bush Official Blast Biden Speaking Tour 

Former George W. Bush administration official Karl Rove criticized President Joe Biden’s upcoming speaking tour as a miscalculated decision that could aid former President Donald Trump’s campaign.

Biden plans to travel and promote his administration’s record for the remainder of his presidency, as outlined in a memo by White House senior adviser and communications director Ben LaBolt, published by Axios on Monday. In a Wednesday op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Rove referred to Biden’s plan as a “farewell tour,” labeling it a “stupid maneuver by the White House” during his appearance on “America’s Newsroom.” He argued that this move undermines Vice President Kamala Harris while benefiting Trump.

“President Biden’s gonna go out and say, ‘Look what a great job I’ve done?’ He’s underwater. People don’t think he did a great job,” Rove stated. “He’s gonna suck up the airtime that would otherwise go to Kamala Harris, he’s gonna give Trump a big, juicy target to hit at, and it’s gonna remind the American people exactly why they’re grateful that he’s no longer running. This is a stupid maneuver by the White House. I’m sure Mar-a-Lago is cheering.”

Karl Rove on Biden doing a speaking tour during the remainder of his presidency: "This is a stupid maneuver by the White House. I’m sure Mar-a-Lago is cheering.” @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/c2xxNy8zIH

— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) September 27, 2024

According to a Tuesday CNN poll conducted by SSRS, over 50% of voters view Trump’s presidential term as “a success,” while only 37% consider Biden’s tenure successful. CNN political commentator Scott Jennings noted on Wednesday that it poses a “major problem” for Harris to be part of the Biden administration when most voters perceive Biden’s presidency as “a failure” so far.

“A lot of that has to do with the economy, and it mostly has to do with inflation. And so she’s yet to look into a television camera and say, ‘Here are two or three things that Joe Biden did that I disagreed with and I would do it differently and I have learned from that.’ She’s effectively running on a continuation of the same,” Jennings said. “People don’t like the same and they remember Trump better. I don’t know how you expect to win under those circumstances.”

Democratic strategist James Carville advised Harris on Thursday to stop attempting to “convince people that the economy is good” and instead focus on what Americans stand “to lose” under a second Trump presidency.