Sudden 'flurry of moves' reveals 'anxiety' and 'urgency in Trump’s campaign': report
Many of the polls released in August are showing 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris with small single-digit leads over her GOP rival Donald Trump. Although Trump is ahead of Harris by 2 percent in a CNBC poll released on August 9, other national polls show him trailing the vice president by 5 percent (Ipsos) or 3 percent (Survey USA, Morning Consult and NPR/PBS/Marist).
Meanwhile, at the state level, an New York Times/Siena poll conducted August 5-9 found Harris leading Trump by 4 percent in three key battleground states: Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. An Independent Center poll released on August 13 showed Harris ahead by 9 percent in Wisconsin.
Axios' Sophia Cai, in an article published on August 13, reports that Harris' "sudden rise in the polls" has become a source of "anxiety" for Trump and his allies — who have responded with a "flurry of moves" that are "aimed at stymying Harris' momentum" and "reflect a new urgency in Trump's campaign."
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"Trump posted on X for the first time in nearly a year, unveiled a barrage of online ads, quickly scheduled trips to two swing states and beefed up his team of top advisers," Cai observes. "Trump's attention-getting efforts also included sitting for an interview Monday night with X owner Elon Musk, in a chat delayed 40 minutes by technical issues."
Cai adds, "MAGA Inc., the main Trump-aligned super PAC, announced a $100 million ad buy for seven swing states."
Trump's "anxiety," according to Cai, is also underscored by media reports on the large crowds Harris is attracting at her campaign rallies. And he has "even falsely parroted a conspiracy theory that accused her team of using AI to make her crowds appear larger in photos," she notes.
"Trump also is bringing on Taylor Budowich as a senior adviser," Cai adds. "Budowich has been leading MAGA Inc. Budowich joining the campaign is a sign of the growing influence of Donald Trump Jr. on his father's campaign."
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Read Axios' full report at this link.
