'A state that is disgraceful': Trump trashes swing state he has to win in 2024
10 July 2023
For Donald Trump to have any chance at winning the 2024 presidential election, he has to win swing states such as Nevada. But he has a funny way of endearing himself to their voters.
The former president’s comments over the weekend to a Nevada news outlet are unlikely to garner new fans in the Silver State.
Trump said Nevada is “disgraceful” when asked about its elections that have been trending Democrat in recent decades in an interview Saturday with the Nevada Globe during the former president’s Las Vegas campaign stop.
Trump was asked how he plans to win the state after losing it in the last presidential election. No Republican presidential candidate has won the Silver State since 2000.
The Globe noted that Nevada’s Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo won election despite losing its two largest counties (Clark County by six points and Washoe County by two points).
“You lost Nevada twice. How do you win Nevada?” the outlet asked Trump.
Trump disputed the premise of the question before trashing Nevada.
“I think I won the last time. I think I won both times, by a lot,” he said.
“This is a state that is disgraceful.”
Trump said his campaign sued Nevada alleging “they robbed the vote a level.”
“We had a lawsuit that was so good and the judge didn’t want to see it. He didn’t even want to see it.
“We had a lawsuit that was, in my opinion, conclusive.”
Trump blamed former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, his longtime ally who lost a U..S Senate bid in 2022 in Nevada. Laxalt now backs Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his former Naval training officer roommate, in the 2024 presidential race.
“But, you know, we have guys like Laxalt. Laxalt was a very weak candidate. He was pathetic,” Trump said.
“I helped Laxalt do the best he could. I guess his grandfather was strong. His father was good. But, I guess the chain got weaker and weaker.
“But, Adam Laxalt is a stiff and he didn’t do the job. He was a lawyer. He was working for a lot of different people on trying to do the vote thing, but he wasn’t the right guy.
“We have great people working now. We have great lawyers working.”