Trump's new danger: Overexposure
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Trump arrives for a news conference at his Bedminster golf club. Photo: Adam Gray/Getty Images
Former President Trump is flirting with a familiar pattern of self-sabotage, betting he can reverse his polling slide with one simple trick: Give the public more Trump.
Why it matters: It's a high-risk head-scratcher for one of the most polarizing candidates in U.S. history, four years after his 2020 re-election bid was derailed in large part by voter exhaustion.
The big picture: Anxious to halt Vice President Kamala Harris' momentum, Trump is flooding the zone with spontaneous press conferences, meandering rally speeches and angry social media outbursts.
- The public appearances attract plenty of attention: The Trump campaign claimed that a billion people listened to Monday's glitchy interview with Elon Musk.
- But while they exhilarate the GOP base, there's no indication that these types of events are expanding Trump's appeal with the swing voters he needs most.
Zoom in: Democrats, on the other hand, see Trump's free-wheeling speeches as a gold mine for viral clips and ad material painting the Republican nominee as incoherent and "unhinged."
- The Harris campaign issued a mock media advisory Thursday advertising the date and time of Trump's press conference at his Bedminster golf club, where it predicted a "self-obsessed rant."
- The event — which featured grocery items as props — was billed as economy-focused, but quickly took a turn as Trump unleashed a stream of false claims and personal attacks against Harris.
What they're saying: "I think I'm entitled to personal attacks. I don't have a lot of respect for her, I don't have a lot of respect for her intelligence," Trump told reporters when asked about his allies' calls for better message discipline.
- "I have to do it my way," he added.
Flashback: In 2020, many Americans grew tired of the theatrics and controversy beamed into their homes during Trump's daily pandemic press briefings, which were broadcast live on cable and broadcast news.
- Trump's approval rating plummeted as he clashed with public health officials, including over his bizarre suggestion that COVID could be treated by injecting disinfectant into a patient's body.
Between the lines: As Trump receded from public view after the 2020 election, perceptions of his presidency — especially on the economy and immigration — steadily improved.
- Trump's best moments of the 2024 campaign have come when public scrutiny has been directed elsewhere, such as President Biden's age and failure to tame inflation.
- That's why Republicans are so insistent that Trump stay focused on attacking Harris over her policy record, seeing a clear path to victory if the election is a referendum on the Biden administration.
What to watch: The Trump campaign is hoping his press conferences will goad Harris into more unscripted appearances and interviews, where they believe the VP will stumble.
- "LIKE A BOSS: [Trump] with the walk off home run after delivering a tour de force press conference. [Kamala Harris] could never," Trump spokesman Steven Cheung tweeted Thursday.
- So far, Harris isn't taking the bait.
