Internal email: Trump campaign prepares for either outcome
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Former President Trump, his image reflected in bulletproof glass, points to the crowd at a rally in Kinston, N.C., on Sunday. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Behind the bluster, former President Trump's campaign is preparing staff members to wind down the operation while privately acknowledging that Trump could lose Tuesday's election.
Why it matters: It's unusual for Trump or his campaign to portray anything but rosy scenarios. But an email to staff on Friday offered a clear-eyed view of what could happen in this coin-flip election.
Zoom in: The internal "Donald J. Trump Administrative Update," from co-campaign manager Susie Wiles, outlines post-election plans. It uses the phrases "should we be victorious," "regardless of the outcome of the election" and "God willing" — acknowledging that the race may or may not turn out in Trump's favor.
- The matter-of-fact email comes as the Trump campaign is publicly projecting confidence, and promoting any polls that show Trump defeating Vice President Harris handily.
Trump himself has been quick to belittle unfavorable polls and has vowed that the only way he could lose is if Democrats cheat. He has laid the groundwork for legal challenges if things don't go his way.
- But even he is acknowledging he could lose. Trump told ABC's Jonathan Karl in a phone conversation Sunday morning that he expects to win, but added when asked if there's any way he could lose: "Yeah, I guess, you know ... I guess you could lose, can lose. I mean, that happens, right?"
- "But I think I have a pretty substantial lead," Trump added. "But, you could say, yeah, yeah, you could lose. Bad things could happen. You know, things happen, but it's going to be interesting."
Between the lines: Much of Wiles' email focused on the nuts and bolts of ending Trump's campaign apparatus — for good, or to become part of Trump's presidential transition and inauguration teams.
- "Regardless of the outcome of the election, November 30 will be your last day on payroll."
- "In the event President Trump and Senator [JD] Vance are elected," Wiles wrote, many campaign staffers will be assigned to either "the official Trump-Vance Transition, or the Presidential Inaugural Committee."
- The Trump campaign headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida, will be reconfigured for the transition and inaugural teams, Wiles writes — "God willing."
- "Should we be victorious," Wiles wrote, the reconfigured office space will be available next week.
What they're saying: "As she has every step of this campaign, Susie Wiles is managing a team of professionals, and ensuring Team Trump is taking the necessary steps to prepare for a successful transition back to the White House following President Trump's victory on Tuesday," Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Axios in a statement.
