Biden and Trump have relatively light campaign schedules compared to their rivals who are accumulating numerous stops.

WASHINGTON — Their rivals are busy answering voters’ questions at town halls across South Carolina, glad-handing with business owners in New Hampshire and grinding to hit every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.

However, as the primary season reaches its peak in the fall, the leading candidates for their respective party nominations, former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, are not actively engaging in campaign activities in key early-voting states.

Biden will be present at a union parade in Philadelphia on Monday. However, he has only organized a single campaign rally since officially announcing his intention to run for reelection in 2024, which spans over four months. Trump, who criticized Biden’s “basement strategy” during the 2020 election, has not engaged in campaigning for the past three weeks. His most recent appearance was at the Iowa State Fair on August 12th.

The schedules highlight the fact that Democrat Biden and Republican Trump, despite having low approval ratings nationwide, are the leading contenders. Biden has minimal opposition from anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is actually more popular among Republicans than Democrats. On the other hand, recent polls show that Trump is significantly ahead of his nearest competitor.

“At this stage of the race, engaging in early-state campaigning may not seem worthwhile when you already have a significant advantage over your main rivals,” commented Whit Ayres, an experienced Republican pollster.

Biden and Trump have aimed to create a sense of certainty well in advance of the 2024 voting period. Biden has prioritized governance and nationwide travel to showcase his policy achievements. In contrast, Trump has frequently chosen not to attend events alongside fellow candidates and opted out of participating in the initial Republican primary debate held last month.

PHOTOS: Biden and Trump are keeping relatively light campaign schedules as their rivals rack up the stops

However, both individuals have distinct explanations for their limited involvement in the campaign.

Trump’s team has been consumed by the criminal charges he now faces in four separate jurisdictions accusing him of illegally trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election, improperly classifying hush money payments in business records, mishandling classified documents after leaving office and trying to obstruct that investigation.

Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with the upcoming trials as they will require him to step away from campaigning.

“I regret to inform you that I am unable to travel to Iowa today, as well as New Hampshire, due to my presence in a courtroom dealing with nonsense,” he expressed during his previous trip to New Hampshire in August.

Currently, Trump’s reservations and legal proceedings have functioned as his most prominent campaign gatherings.

His trips to jails and courthouses in New York, Miami, Washington and Atlanta have dominated coverage of the race, with his movements tracked by news helicopters and broadcast live on television and across the internet. His historic mug shot, now featured on T-shirts, mugs and posters, helped his campaign raise more than $20 million in August alone.

His schedule is expected to become busier after the Labor Day weekend, as he plans trips to Iowa and South Dakota in the upcoming week. It’s worth noting that these states are not considered crucial for primary or general elections. Following these visits, he will head to California. Additionally, he has been actively engaged in various activities behind the scenes. Apart from playing golf and meeting with his legal team, Trump has participated in conservative podcasts via phone calls, recorded videos for his Truth Social network, and attended fundraisers in different states, including his New Jersey club.

Last month, he traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, for a fundraiser that drew several hundreds, including musicians Kid Rock and John Rich and the former NASCAR driver Darrell Waltrip, according to a person who attended but asked to remain anonymous to discuss the private gathering at the the Four Seasons hotel.

Last week, Trump invited the families of military personnel who lost their lives during the tumultuous retreat from Afghanistan. The week prior, he organized a fundraising event for the Patriot Freedom Project, an organization that provides assistance to individuals involved in the assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

He has additionally prioritized relationship building, reaching out to party officials and creating videos for state and county party events, according to aides. These endeavors have reportedly contributed to his endorsement by senators, members of Congress, and statewide officials.

The signature large-scale rallies that were a prominent feature of his previous campaigns – and which he was conducting on a weekly basis at this time in 2015 – have also been acknowledged as costly. This is particularly true considering that the former president’s political organization has been allocating tens of millions of dollars to cover legal expenses for his defense and his allies. Instead of holding rallies, Trump has been delivering speeches at events arranged and funded by state parties, and has made unpublicized visits to local restaurants where he engages with his supporters.

Mike Dennehy, an experienced Republican strategist in New Hampshire’s early-voting stage, believes that Trump is only putting in the minimum effort required to stay ahead. However, Dennehy also acknowledges that Trump’s overall campaign is exerting significant effort, surpassing any previous Donald Trump campaigns in history.

“He said that the Republican primary candidates are not providing much competition for Donald Trump. Therefore, he can afford to do only what is necessary to keep his lead.”

Biden has conducted a significantly smaller campaign effort.

The president championed a Democratic National Committee effort to make South Carolina the party’s leadoff state in its 2024 presidential primary, breaking with Republicans who are still starting in Iowa. But Biden has not visited South Carolina as a 2024 candidate.

Biden’s campaign for reelection claims that his strategy aligns with that of previous presidents like Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Biden consistently highlights his policy accomplishments while maintaining a cost-effective campaign. Additionally, he collaborates with national and state Democrats to strengthen his team and data operations in preparation for the upcoming intense race next year.

The president has participated in fundraising events across the nation to support his bid for reelection and has traveled to states like Arizona for official purposes. Occasionally, he has also visited strongholds of the Republican party, such as Utah, Texas, and Alabama.

Once in office, he frequently blurs the distinction between politics and the presidency. He commends achievements like the bipartisan infrastructure legislation passed by Congress in the previous year, while criticizing Republicans for their opposition to a green energy and healthcare plan that he claims is generating employment opportunities and reducing expenses for the American people.

“I cannot reword”

Biden is returning to Philadelphia for Labor Day, where he held his only campaign rally. The city’s convention center hosted a June event funded by major unions who had united to give their first-ever collective endorsement to Biden.

Biden’s visit to Pennsylvania brings back memories of the pandemic-affected 2020 campaign, during which he spent more time in this state than any other. Despite being a senator from Delaware, Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and often mentions his strong connection to the Keystone State.

“I believe it demonstrates a campaign that remembers the valuable insights gained in 2020, when Pennsylvania received significant focus despite the restricted campaigning,” expressed Mike Mikus, an experienced Democratic advisor residing in Pittsburgh. “Neglecting its importance could result in losing it.”

Focusing excessively on a single state can lead to neglecting other areas. A clear instance of this was when Hillary Clinton did not campaign in Wisconsin following the 2016 Democratic primary, resulting in a narrow loss to Trump. However, Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, highlighted that Wisconsin was the first destination for President Biden’s trip after assuming office.

“I cannot reword”

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Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.