Donald Trump isn’t playing games anymore. He’s pulling out all the stops.
And now Trump has plans to crash the Democrat convention in a dramatic fashion.
As Vice President Kamala Harris gains momentum ahead of the Democratic National Convention next week, former President Donald Trump and his campaign are intensifying their efforts to counteract her rise. The Trump campaign announced on Wednesday that the former president will hold a news conference on Thursday, marking his second in a week.
The campaign also plans to launch a series of counter-programming events during the Democrats’ national nominating convention, set to begin on Monday in Chicago. A senior Trump campaign adviser, speaking to Fox News under anonymity, revealed that “a whole cadre of people,” including Trump and his top surrogates, will be active in key battlegrounds. “We’re certainly going to have key people in the battlegrounds and available to the media to counterprogram,” the adviser said.
Among the key figures mobilized will be Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley. Traditionally, presidential candidates have taken a step back while the opposing party held its convention. However, this year has seen a departure from that norm. Last month, as the Republicans convened in Milwaukee, President Biden briefly campaigned in the crucial swing state of Nevada before cutting his trip short due to COVID.
The political landscape was further shaken when Biden, following a poor performance in a late June debate against Trump, announced that he would not seek re-election, leaving Harris to lead the Democratic ticket.
Despite his current campaign strategy, Trump has been under pressure to increase his activity on the trail. Last week, he held a lengthy news conference where he defended his approach, stating that his lead in the race allowed him to ease off. However, recent polls indicate that Harris has closed the gap in national and battleground state surveys. Trump promised to “pick up the pace” after the Democrats’ convention.
Trump Allies Pleading With The President To Get Back On The Campaign Trail
Advisers in Trump’s circle are quietly working to persuade him to shift his focus away from personal attacks on Harris, particularly regarding her racial identity, and instead emphasize her stance on key issues such as the border, crime, and inflation. Public figures aligned with Trump are also urging him to recalibrate his strategy. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, in a Fox News interview, advised, “Stop questioning the size of her crowds and start questioning her position.”
Former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also emphasized how important it is to get on message quickly and before the Harris campaign. He said Trump has “a short time frame to do it, so don’t sit back. Get out there and start making the case.”
Kevin McCarthy to Donald Trump on Fox News: "Stop questioning the size of her crowds."
Somewhere in Mar-a-Lago, a ketchup bottle is going through some things. pic.twitter.com/H9BwIAw5s1
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 12, 2024
Trump spotlighted economic issues in a campaign event on Wednesday in Asheville, North Carolina, marking his second visit to the state since Harris took over the Democratic ticket. Additionally, Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, will hold campaign events throughout the week in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Trump’s return to X (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday marked a significant moment in his campaign. After a brief reappearance last year to post his mugshot and a fundraising link, Trump had largely stayed off the platform. However, his campaign has indicated that this return is more sustained, with plans for him to engage in unscripted conversations across various platforms. “Whether it’s on X or any of these other things, the president is unafraid of having unscripted conversations about the issues that matter, in stark contrast to Kamala Harris,” the adviser said.
“You’ll see him on X talking to millions of people. You’ll see him on all kinds of conversational podcasts and streams coming up the rest of the campaign. And he’ll still be doing – as he always does – press availabilities, and he will obviously keep doing rallies and special large audience events,” the campaign official added.
The return to X was not without its challenges, as technical difficulties delayed Trump’s interview with Elon Musk for over 40 minutes. Despite this, Trump gained over 900,000 new followers on the platform by Monday night. Elon Musk said that the views of the event and the discussion around it garnered over one billion unique hits within 24 hours.
1 Billon!!! ONE BILLON… 1 billion people were tuned in to the @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk interview. One billion, that is 1000 MILLONES PARA QUE SE ENTIENDA. pic.twitter.com/LdVqwnHTOt
— Eva Sara Landau (@EvaSaraLandau) August 13, 2024
Dan Eberhart, the CEO of an oil drilling company and a key Republican donor who previously raised significant funds for Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, is once again backing Trump after initially supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the GOP primaries. In an interview with Fox News, Eberhart emphasized the importance of staying vigilant in the race, stating, “You’ve always got to be assessing the state of the race, and I would like to see more offense from the Trump campaign. Trump, the man, is the campaign’s best asset. Put him out there.”
“Immediately after the Democrat convention closes, I would like to see the gloves come off in a full-throated campaign for Trump,” the Trump-supporting CEO shared with reporters.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
