President Joe Biden has declined to weigh in on the unprecedented criminal charges his predecessor faces, continuing his administration’s practice of not discussing ongoing criminal investigations or pending criminal cases.
Mr Biden was asked for a reaction to the indictment New York prosecutors obtained against former president Donald Trump this week as the 46th president was departing the White House to view disaster damage in Mississippi.
Pressed on whether he believed the charges against Mr Trump would divide the country — a claim made by many of the ex-president’s supporters — Mr Biden replied: “I have no comment on that”.
When another reporter asked if he was concerned about the possibility of protests in response to his predecessor’s newfound status as a criminal defendant, he demurred once again.
“No, I’m not going to be talking about Trump’s indictment,” he said.
Mr Biden’s refusal to speak out about the pending criminal case against his predecessor is in keeping with his stated desire to revive norms of separation between the White House and criminal law enforcement that were eroded during Mr Trump’s presidency.
When Mr Trump was in office, he frequently exhibited no qualms about commenting on criminal investigations, whether they were into his or his allies’ conduct or against those he considered to be enemies.
But under Mr Biden, the White House has steadfastly refused to offer any statements about any criminal probes on any matters and has instead referred questions to the appropriate prosecutorial authorities.
