Rerecord, not fade away

Many who consider Trump's unprincipled pursuit power (and money) to be anathema to the office he recently held were hoping that after loosing the a bid to be re-elected in 2020, he would return to Mar-a-Lago to a life of golfing and shady property dealing. He did not.  Instead his thirst for affirmation, vindication and revenge have led him to continue his quest to be returned to the presidency.       

Had he melted from view, his more unsavory supporters, the white nationalists and the gun-wielding crack-pots (Taylor-Green, Boebert) or the simply craven (Gaetz, Hawely, Jordan, Gosar) might have been ousted or at least played a less influential role in GOP politics.  Not giving Trump the attention he so craves might have helped the GOP regain (what passed for) its senses.  That seems to have been the rationale for the Biden administration avoiding blaming Trump or even mentioning him in connection with events of January 6th.

That calculus has clearly changed. In his speech yesterday he pulled no punches. He went after Trump stridently and clearly. He laid bare the former president's flaws and the danger he and those like him represent to democracy. Biden's earlier calculus that Trump would fade away and so it would be counter productive to appear to criticize him (and by extension those who supported him) had changed. He has clearly concluded that Trump is not going away and his base is not, at least for the foreseeable future, likely to simmer down and accept the result of the 2020 election. Their rage and resentment that Trump fed to propel him into office is too deep-rooted to abate on its own; and so the risk of energizing that base by attacking Trump is moot; it remains fully energized.

Since not riling up Trump supporters is no longer an issue, the speech was aimed not at the die-hards, but the quasi independents who were members of the pre-Trump GOP. They may be persuaded if not to vote for a Democrat, at least not to vote for a GOP candidate which to all intents and purposes has become the National Front^[1] of America. Never Trumpers and Democrate can't win over all Trump's supported; but they might be able to get enough at the margin to make a difference.  Trump's base is what it is, and the only way of saving democracy from further erosion by Trump and his allies is to ensure that he doesn't get a second bite at the cherry. Because if he does, he wont by quite so inept in is efforts to subvert and exploit the highest office in the land next time around .  

^[1] The Nataionl Front (like it French equivalent the Front Nationale) is a party of white xenophobic anti-immigrant racists.