Trump Campaign Volunteer Loses Position After Controversial Email on New Hampshire’s Battleground Status
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
A top volunteer for Donald Trump’s campaign in Massachusetts has lost his position after sending an email to fellow volunteers declaring that neighboring New Hampshire is “no longer a battleground state” and urging them to focus their efforts on winning Pennsylvania instead.
In the email, which was obtained by The Boston Globe, Tom Mountain asserted that Trump was “sure to lose by an even higher margin” in New Hampshire this year compared to his losses in 2016 and 2020. Mountain cited “campaign data/research” to support his claims, according to the Globe.
The comments sparked a swift response from Republicans in the region, who sought to distance themselves from Mountain’s remarks. They emphasized that his views were not reflective of the Trump campaign’s official strategy.
Brian Hughes, a senior advisor to the Trump campaign, responded by telling the Globe that Mountain was not a “leading volunteer” and that “due to this ridiculous misrepresentation of our ongoing operation in New Hampshire, he will no longer have any involvement going forward.” Hughes further clarified that the Trump campaign maintains a robust presence in New Hampshire, with active staffers and offices on the ground.
Steve Stepanek, leader of the Trump campaign in New Hampshire, also weighed in, stating that Mountain “obviously has no idea what is going on in NH because he is from Massachusetts.”
This incident is not the first time Mountain has faced controversy. In 2021, he resigned as vice chairman of the Massachusetts GOP following the publication of a “scurrilous and demeaning” blog post. While Mountain did not specify the post in question, The Boston Globe reported that the blog Turtleboy Sports had published a story titled, “Vice Chairman Of Mass GOP Leaves Tons Of Creepy Comments For Women On Facebook Including Underage Girls, Claims He Was Hacked.”
The story alleged that Mountain had left inappropriate comments about an intern for Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL), some of which were reportedly made when the intern was just 14 and 15 years old. Mountain’s recent email and the subsequent fallout underscore the ongoing challenges within Trump’s campaign and the need for careful coordination and messaging as the 2024 election approaches.
