Has Donald Trump seemed… strange lately? If you’re wondering why the former president has been acting particularly strangely since President Joe Biden gave up his reelection bid, you’re not alone.
Trump’s recent campaign, and the few events he has held, have been even more disjointed for a man who regularly forgets his campaign purpose. Doctor’s name.
Trump has held far fewer rallies this August than he did at the same times in 2016 and 2020, and his relaxed schedule has led some MAGA insiders to wonder if the candidate is I’ll do my best for the Republican Party. The move comes as Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is gearing up for an all-out campaign in November.
Harris’s surge in approval ratings has clearly upset the 78-year-old Trump. Voters are calling him Light Campaign ScheduleAnd the polls are punishing the Republican Party as a whole for it. If this trend continues, the GOP’s summer recession could prove costly in November.
Trump’s approval ratings have fallen sharply in states where he has canceled events or significantly curtailed his campaign schedule. When Trump visits states like Michigan, 2 percentage point lead Against Biden 3 points behind HarrisWhat voters see is a candidate who wants to be somewhere else. On Tuesday, Trump spoke out against a candidate he once said:KKK Capital of MichiganA relatively short speech focusing on crime.
“Trump has certainly lost steam and his energy levels have dropped considerably,” said Mike Madrid, a Republican consultant and co-founder of the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project. “That’s problematic for a campaign whose entire brand is high energy. As the older, weaker candidate in the race, he risks damaging his overall image with a lack of energy.”
Michigan is an odd choice to launch a wave of attacks blaming Harris for rising crime rates. As Michiganders know, the state’s violent crime rate is Up 12% in Trump’s final yearand fell by more than 7% in Biden’s second year in the White House.But even Trump seemed unconvinced by his own argument.It took him only a few minutes to undermine his own speech. He complains that women hate him..
For a man who held rallies almost every day in August 2016, some of the lackluster events Trump has hosted this month feel like they’re hurting rather than boosting the Republican candidate. That’s if Trump achieves his goal. Attendance at Trump’s live events is Reduced to MAGA enthusiastsAnd the candidate adapted his rambling monologue accordingly.
“He’s not the candidate we saw in 2016 or 2020,” Republican strategist Susan Del Percio told Daily Kos. “He easily loses his train of thought, mixes up names and the basis for what he says, and goes on rants about sharks, boats and electrocution that go off the rails,” she added. Becoming a recurring topic Regarding President Trump’s recent speech.
MAGA devotees may still believe the sun rises and sets at Mar-a-Lago, but Republican strategists close to the Trump campaign are aware that their out-of-power boss is sapping voter enthusiasm in key battleground states. Even the slightest sense of disillusionment matters when key states are likely to be decided by just a few percentage points.
Things have gotten so bad for Trump that even veteran conservatives like economist Thomas Sowell are speaking out. Wall Street Journal EditorialSowell slammed Trump and the Republican Party for being lazy in helping Harris and the Democrats reset the electoral map. “Republicans Need to Try Harder,” Sowell’s headline roared, with a subheading adding, “The Clock is Ticking.”
Even Trump’s beloved ruby-red Texas Last visited in Mayis showing signs of losing momentum: Earlier this summer, Trump led Biden by nine points in the Lone Star State. Public opinion poll From YouGov and the University of Houston, however New Research The same pollster found Ms Harris had cut Mr Trump’s lead in half, to 5 points. Lower-division races aren’t safe either: The same poll showed Sen. Ted Cruz leading his Democratic opponent Colin Allred by just 2 points. Texas That’s what we’re talking about.
“This will undoubtedly have an impact on voter enthusiasm, even if only slightly,” Madrid warned. “In close elections, margins matter, and the pace and tempo of the campaign are crucial… [U]If his image is tarnished, it could affect voter turnout among Trump supporters.”
In 2016 and 2020, Trump could rely on a media cycle that kept him at the center of the national conversation. But Biden’s shock withdrawal from the race and Harris’ meteoric rise as a media darling have thrown that strategy out the window. Even conservative media networks that were once Trump’s most powerful megaphones have shunned him. Reluctant They stopped covering the former president’s lackluster outing. Fox News and Newsmax pulled their broadcasts of Trump’s Michigan rally after just a few minutes.
Trump’s sudden reluctance to campaign may be comforting to one group of people: his own campaign advisers.
“Trump has hired experts who are probably relieved they won’t have to clean up any messes he makes in public,” Del Percio said.
