An internal 'power struggle' threatens to damage Trump’s campaign: report

26 August 2024

Although many of the national and battleground state polls released in late August have showed 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris with small single-digit leads over GOP rival Donald Trump, quite a few Democratic strategists have cautioned that it's still a close race. And Harris continues to make a point of describing herself as a the "underdog," even with a national Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released on August 23 showing her with a 7 percent lead.

Democrats are also cautioning that Trump campaign leaders Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita are skilled GOP operatives. LaCivita, in fact, helped sink 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's campaign with his infamous "Swift Boat Veterans" attack.

In a report published on August 26, however, The Guardian's Hugo Lowell addresses concerns that infighting could damage Trump's campaign — including fears of a "power struggle" between campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski and others.

Lowell explains, "The momentary power play among the senior advisers is widely seen to be over, for now, after the 2016 campaign chief, Corey Lewandowski, distanced himself from suggestions he was returning to the fold to run the campaign and the current leadership remained in their roles…. But there has been trepidation that if the Trump campaign hits more rough patches in the race against Vice-President Kamala Harris, any disagreements, for instance, on strategy between Lewandowski and the current chiefs, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, could cause a blow-up, the people (familiar with the matter) said."

The Guardian reports that a "power struggle" within Trump's campaign could prove detrimental at a time when the campaign is dealing with some major challenges — including all the criticism of his "widely panned" running, mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

"The Trump campaign is also trying, late in the election cycle, to prepare a larger ground game in battleground states, run Trump through a slew of rallies and prepare him for a crunch presidential debate in September — while Harris' honeymoon period continues with a vengeance," Lowell observes. "What the campaign cannot afford, the people said, is a sapping power struggle like a clash between LaCivita, who is ensconced, and Lewandowski, who has remained close to Trump despite being ousted from a Trump-aligned PAC after a donor's wife complained of unwanted sexual advances…. The jitters have calmed down for now because no one expects Lewandowski or anyone else to become the head of the Trump campaign, after the other senior advisers in effect revolted at the idea of Lewandowski taking over and privately complained to Trump, the people said."

Lowell adds, "The morning that Trump formally decided to add Lewandowski to the campaign leadership, Trump told his team to 'find something for Corey to do,' according to two people in the room."

Read The Guardian's full article at this link.

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