It was not totally clear whether the Republicans’ desire or willingness to scrub Trump from the picture Tuesday was simply a tactical decision to ease Barrett’s confirmation or if it reflected Trump’s weakening grip on lawmakers as polls increasingly suggest that he is likely to be defeated next month in his re-election bid.

While a desire by Republicans not to talk about a president of their own party just weeks before he’s up for re-election might ordinarily be seen as a snub, at the moment it might actually be politically beneficial to Trump to have the spotlight on Barrett instead.

At a superficial level, the middle-aged, mild-mannered law professor and mother of seven is a far less polarizing figure than the thrice-married, attention-grabbing president, particularly with the moderate, suburban women Trump is trying to target in his re-election bid. And Barrett managed to sound more empathetic on racial issues than Trump has through several years in office.