How Trump keeps undermining his own strategy
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Former President Trump's campaign, under pressure from Vice President Harris' rise in the polls, is facing a persistent challenge from within: Trump himself, and his tendency to undermine his own strategy.
Why it matters: The "Trump will be Trump" dynamic has been evident throughout 2024. But as the campaign heads into a nine-week sprint to Nov. 5, his off-script whims appear to be increasingly throwing mud on his advisers' game plans.
Zoom in: This week, his campaign debuted a Pennsylvania mail-in voting website for a program called "Swamp the Vote," aimed at boosting GOP turnout in swing states.
- The same day, Trump called mail-in voting "terrible" during an interview with "Dr. Phil" McGraw.
- "We want to get rid of mail-in voting," Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania on Friday, adding to the mixed messages coming from his campaign. Some Republicans, egged on by Trump, have associated mail-in voting with voter fraud — despite a lack of evidence.
For months, Trump's team has been training field volunteers to get out the Republican vote.
- But Trump is making clear he doesn't care as much about their efforts as he does "election integrity" — a push aimed in part at justifying his false claims that he lost the 2020 election only because of fraud.
- "Our primary focus is not to get out the vote — but to make sure they don't cheat," Trump said last week.
- Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign's communications director, told Axios both programs "are equally important": "Trump has encouraged his supporters and voters to get out the vote through video, social media posts, in-person events and much more."
The ex-president continues to lean into personal attacks, despite his advisers' repeated efforts to get him to focus more on issues.
- They're writing policy proposals into his speeches, and pushing policy ideas on social media and in a daily campaign newsletter, Palm Beach Playbook.
- Trump frequently deviates from prepared remarks to ask those at his rallies which nicknames he should give his opponents. Mispronouncing Harris' first name is a constant feature of his rallies. He's begun calling her "Comrade Kamala."
- In North Carolina during the Democratic convention, Trump complained: "They always say, 'Sir, please stick to policy, don't get personal ... You'll win it on the border. You'll win it with inflation. You'll win it with your great military that you built.'"
- He then did a "free poll" of the crowd: "Should I get personal, or should I not get personal?" The MAGA crowd roared, wanting more vintage Trump.
- "My advisers are fired!" he joked at a time when he's brought back past advisers such as Corey Lewandowski.
The disconnect between Trump and his team was apparent this week as the campaign was negotiating the ground rules for his Sept. 10 debate against Harris on ABC.
- As his advisers were pushing to keep mics muted for the candidates when it's not their turn to answer, Trump declared he didn't care whether the mics would be muted. (They will be, under the latest rules.)
Between the lines: Trump's team, led by co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, largely relies on his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), to be a constant voice on issues.
- On Wednesday, Vance delivered speeches in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, both focused on the economy.
There has been one bit of relief for Trump's advisers: After attacking Georgia's popular Republican governor, Brian Kemp, for resisting Trump's push to overturn the 2020 election results in that state, Trump made nice with him as the Democratic convention ended.
- In what appeared to be a recognition that Harris' poll numbers in Georgia now are matching Trump's, Trump tweeted: "Thank you to @BrianKempGA for all of your help and support in Georgia ... I look forward to working with you."
- That detente came largely thanks to Vance, who reached out to Kemp, along with a few other aides and current and former elected officials, Politico reported. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also helped behind the scenes.
Reality check: As recently as late July, Trump was publicly complimenting his top aides, praising Wiles and LaCivita for the "best-run campaign in years."
What they're saying: "President Trump is the leader of the campaign and the leader of this movement," Cheung said. "He sets the game plan and it's up to the campaign to execute that strategy."
- In every speech, Trump "talks about skyrocketing inflation, an out-of-control border and rampant crime," Cheung added.
- "President Trump has been consistent, saying recently that Ms. Wiles and Mr. LaCivita are phenomenal and he has the best team in politics."
