Trump’s 'paranoid' campaign is already planning for a 'bitter' and 'chaotic' GOP convention battle: report

21 July 2023

Supporters of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have been cautioning that despite what polls are showing, it's way too early to write him off as a presidential candidate. But if former President Donald Trump's poll numbers hold up, it's entirely possible that the United States will see a Trump/Joe Biden rematch in 2024. Polls released during the second half of July show DeSantis trailing Trump by 28 percent (Reuters/Ipsos), 29 percent (Quinnipiac) or 35 percent (Morning Consult) in the GOP presidential primary.

The Daily Beast's Jake Lahut, in an article published on July 21, describes the Trump campaign's mood as one of confidence and "bravado." Lahut reports, however, that Trump and his allies are "quietly planning for" the "chaotic outcome of a bitter primary war: a fight on the floor of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next July."

"According to five Republicans familiar with the discussions," Lahut explains, "Trump and his team are making a concerted push to ensure that the Convention is packed with loyalists who could fortify their position, should another candidate win enough delegates during the primary to potentially maneuver for the nomination…. In Trumpworld, a sense of paranoia abounds over the possibility his foes try to block his path back to the nomination."

Interviewed on condition of anonymity, a GOP insider told the Beast that Trump's campaign "is already lobbying the people who are going to that convention to prepare for" the possibility of a messy battle.

Trump is the first politician in United States history who is facing two criminal indictments — one federal, the other in New York State — while being the double-digit frontrunner in his party's presidential primary. According to Lahut, the Trump campaign is trying to make sure that his legal problems do not prevent him from winning the primary.

"By locking up loyalists in delegate slates now," Lahut reports, "Trump's team could be guarding against the possibility that any criminal trials, or even convictions, would prevent him from winning the nomination. The most acute threat would be any carve-outs in state party rules that could free delegates to vote for a non-indicted or convicted candidate, even if Trump cleans up in their state."

The Daily Beast's full report is available at this link(subscription required).

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