WASHINGTON — Republicans are increasingly placing President Joe Biden at the center of their campaign attacks as his standing with the public deteriorates, a strategic shift for a party that had struggled to define him in the early months of his White House tenure.
Through much of the summer, Biden enjoyed positive marks from a consistent majority of Americans, making it difficult for the GOP to find a line of attack that stuck to the new president. But that dynamic began to change following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and a resurgence of coronavirus cases.
Those moments led some voters, particularly independents, to have broader doubts about Biden’s leadership ability and capacity to handle the job, according to Republican operatives working on the 2022 midterm elections. They say that has opened the door for GOP attacks on other issues they see as politically advantageous, such as inflation, immigration and crime.
