Exclusive: Donald Trump Jr. warns election is "not in the bag"

• Trump Jr. was interviewed at Axios House on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention.

Between the lines: Warning against complacency is a pretty typical election year message. But Trump Jr. paired his with unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud — echoing his father's baseless claims that President Biden's 2020 win was illegitimate.

• "There's no level the other side won't go. There's no nonsense they won't play," Trump Jr. claimed.
• He claimed that if his father lost in November, the most likely reason would be "cheating."

Zoom out: Trump Jr. said it was important for his father to be competitive, even in states that might not turn red, in an effort to help Republicans win down-ballot races.

• "I think you have to win across the board, and not just even Congressional or Senate races. I mean, I want to win legislatures. I want to win school boards," he said.

State of play: The former president leads Biden in nearly all the recent swing state polls. Though Biden remains within striking distance in the crucial "blue wall" states in the Midwest.

• Trump Jr. confirmed Axios' reporting that the campaign plans to plant Trump's running mate, JD Vance, in Pennsylvania in the coming months, with trips to Michigan and Wisconsin.

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