Trump Furious Over Facing Harris: ‘This Is a Real Presidential Campaign,’ Says GOP Strategist
JOSE LUIS MAGANA/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vice President Kamala Harris’ rise to the top of the Democratic ticket has reportedly left former President Donald Trump fuming, as his campaign struggles to find its footing. According to a report from the Washington Post, Trump has been expressing his frustration in calls to close allies, directing much of his ire at his own campaign staff as they grapple with the new political landscape.
As the Democrats’ campaign, now led by Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, gains momentum, Trump’s own campaign appears increasingly fractured. Sources close to the former president describe a chaotic scene behind the scenes, with Trump himself struggling to adapt to the unexpected challenge of facing Harris instead of President Joe Biden.
“Trump now finds himself back in a dead-even contest and with new signs of strain in his orbit,” the Post reported. “In the face of new Democratic momentum, he has grown increasingly upset about Harris’s surging poll numbers and media coverage since replacing Biden on the ticket, complaining relentlessly and asking friends about how his campaign is performing, according to five people close to the campaign.”
The report adds that Trump’s frustration is not limited to his campaign staff. Friends, Mar-a-Lago members, and donors have expressed their concerns to Trump, who, in turn, relays these worries to others. This has created a feedback loop of anxiety within Trump’s inner circle, as U.S. Senate allies and other Republicans attempt to refocus the former president on attacking Harris, told The Guardian.
The campaign’s disarray is evident, with sources noting that Trump’s team seems caught off guard by the Democrats’ recent surge. For the first time, Trump’s campaign is “back on its heels,” leaving insiders wondering why the team was so ill-prepared for this new phase of the race.
Longtime GOP strategist Kevin Madden offered a sobering analysis of the current situation, stating, “What’s happened in the last couple of weeks is we actually have a real race. This is a real presidential campaign. The Biden-Trump version of this was one event a week by each candidate, very rarely on the campaign trail, and no real engagement. Now this is going to be one of those campaigns where strategies matter, resources matter, time matters, and there is not much room for error.”
Madden’s assessment underscores the challenges facing Trump as he attempts to navigate a suddenly competitive and fast-paced campaign environment. With Harris’s presence energizing the Democratic base and drawing increased media attention, the pressure is on Trump and his team to recalibrate their approach.
