Biden is staying silent on Trump's arrest for a specific reason: political expert

In the wake of Donald Trump's arraignment in New York City this Tuesday, President Joe Biden has yet to say anything on the matter. According to Thomas Gift, founding director of University College London's Center on US Politics, Biden's silence is a very "smart tactic," Newsweek reported.

Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to 34 felony charges linked to alleged attempts to silence damaging personal information during his triumphant 2016 race for the White House.

When questioned about the case by White House press corps reporters on Tuesday, Biden responded, "No comment."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also chose not to speak on the subject. "Obviously he will catch part of the news when he has a moment to catch up on news of the day but this is not a focus for him," she said.

RELATED: Melania Trump conspicuously absent from post-arraignment Mar-a-Lago grievance-fest

Speaking to Newsweek, Gift said that "Biden has nothing to gain, but much to lose, by commenting on the Trump prosecution."

"If he even remotely hinted at Trump's guilt, he'd be accused of pressing his thumb on the judicial scales and using his power to influence the trial," Gift said.

"Nothing would give Trump more satisfaction, since he could use it as apparent evidence that he's the victim of a top-down Democratic hit job. For Biden, 'no comment' is the only smart tactic right now," he added.

Trump is doubling down on extreme rhetoric, painting himself in a speech after his release Tuesday as victim of a "Trump-hating judge" and "massive election interference."

But for all the bravado, the 76-year-old is in serious trouble.

During his decades in the public eye, he has shown astonishing ability to escape legal peril, whether during his many business disputes or even as president when Republicans acquitted him in an unprecedented two impeachment trials.

But Trump is now in the hands of the New York state court system, where Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is mounting an aggressive prosecution.

He also risks the wrath of Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing his case in New York and cautioned against "comments that have potential to incite violence, create civil unrest or jeopardize the state or well-being of any individuals."

Even if some analysts have questioned the strength of the New York case, Trump's real problems may lie elsewhere.

Reports indicate that a high-level probe into his hoarding of top secret White House documents at his private Florida Mar-a-Lago residence is gathering pace. Another criminal probe is underway in Georgia over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden but refused to concede.

With additional reporting by AFP