Trump's daily rallies reveal the staggering number of battleground states in play this election: analysis
14 October 2020
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President Donald Trump's back-to-back campaign rallies may appear to be a sign of strength since the president declared he has defeated COVID-19, but the rallies actual reveal more about the peril of his re-election campaign, according to multiple political strategists.
Trump returned to the campaign trail on Monday after dismissing COVID-19 guidelines which require a full, 14-day quarantine. Over the next several days, he will be moving full steam ahead with scheduled visits to Iowa, Georgia, and Florida—states he won by sizable margins in 2016. In fact, no Democratic presidential candidate has managed to win the state of Georgia since Former President Bill Clinton was elected in 1992.
While it would seem like Georgia is a safe Republican haven, that may not be the case this year. Now, one Democratic strategist argues that Trump would not be visiting states he felt confident he could easily win, reports The Hill.
Democratic strategist Joe Trippi noted the latest poll projections which appear to be favorable for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Although Trump has repeatedly described the polls as "fake," his rallies are scheduled in the states where polls suggest Biden is leading.
"It is pretty clear that Biden is on offense, Trump is on defense. The electoral map is expanding for Biden and shrinking for Trump," Trippi said, adding, "You don't change that dynamic by going to states you won. It's Biden who is going into states that Trump won and should be off the map."
It is no secret that Trump prefers rallies more than other political events as he believes it is the best way to connect with his base. In 2016, Sam Numberg, who served as one of the Trump campaign's senior advisors, offered remarks similar to Trippi's. He previously admitted how important it is for the president to visit key battleground states to secure the vote.
"The president needs to visit states that are either leaning in his column or trending away but very closely, so he can go to the true battlegrounds and concentrate on them later in the process," Numberg said.
The latest remarks come as Trump is reportedly pushing to increase his time on the campaign trail. According to NBC News, Trump's senior advisor Jason Miller revealed the president was "getting on my case for not having enough rallies and public events scheduled."
The publication reports that Trump is hoping to hold "more in-person rallies and other events" and possibly multiple events in one day as Election Day approaches.