Trump should focus on the swing states as some Republicans worry about their chances for 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump remain tied according to recent polls, with Election Day just over a month away. A new national poll by New York TimesThe Philadelphia Inquirerand Siena College found that the two candidates were tied at 47%, according to a poll conducted Sept. 11-16, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

In the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, which is widely seen as crucial to any candidate's victory, Harris is ahead 50% to 46%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

The razor-thin majorities have caused some to worry about the campaign's strategy. Trump took his message to a rally on Long Island on Wednesday in a deep-red state where Harris leads by double digits, seeking to boost House Republicans who face a tough re-election battle. He also visited Washington, DC, on Thursday, where he gave speeches addressing the issue of anti-Semitism.

Last Friday, he traveled to his Ranchos Palos Verdes golf club in California for a press conference, where he called Harris a communist and portrayed the state of California as a hellscape destroyed by liberal politicians.

“I would say with limited resources of time and money. Swing voters and swing states should be the priority 99 times out of 100,” Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday.

Some prominent Republican strategists also pointed out that the recent travel schedule does not reflect how close the race has become.

“I think it's perfectly fine to go to New York, DC or California if you win the election, but that's certainly not the case here,” said one GOP strategist with experience working on presidential campaigns. “Time is running out and I think Trump should spend the next seven weeks or so campaigning exclusively in the crucial swing states.”

“Many of us in GOP circles welcome it when a presidential candidate tries to endorse vulnerable candidates, as he tried to do in New York, but I think he should focus on his own campaign right now,” the person added.

Other loyal Trump allies disagree and have a different opinion on Trump's recent strategy.

“He has a pretty big megaphone, so the time he spends in New York doing events spills over into the Philadelphia market. I'm OK with that,” said Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY). “He has such boundless energy that he can hold several large town hall meetings in a single day and still wake up the next day feeling fresh and alert. I don't know how he does it.”

“If his energy level gets too squeezed, I'm sure he'll only be placed in swing districts, but until that happens, he has room to maneuver,” Lummis added.

Trump plans to travel to Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday and Indiana, Pennsylvania, on Monday for rallies. With voters in some states already receiving mail-in ballots, some GOP insiders are urging Trump to stick to his message and address Biden and Harris' record on the border, inflation and world affairs.

“He's returning to Pennsylvania, arguably the most important state in this race, and he needs to be able to deliver a clear message,” said a former Republican Senate leadership aide who asked not to be identified. “Energy in particular is an incredibly important issue for Pennsylvania. The question is whether he can focus on it.”

Instead, the campaign focused on questionable claims about pets being eaten by illegal immigrants in the days following the presidential debate. During the debate, some Republicans expressed concern that Trump seemed “unprepared.”

“He gets distracted so often, and it's been happening since Harris entered the race,” the person added. “This is not a campaign management issue, this is a candidate issue, and only Donald Trump can control what comes out of his mouth.”

Jewish leaders and politicians from both parties expressed concern about Trump's comments on Thursday. He claimed that “the Jewish people will have a lot to deal with” if Harris wins on Election Day. He made remarks about “fighting anti-Semitism in America” ​​at a campaign rally on Thursday afternoon.

“I'm just not sure how you can blame Jews in advance for a potential election loss in order to gain their support,” asked another GOP strategist from Washington, D.C., on Friday. “It's ironic because it's actually a form of anti-Semitism that he's spreading at an event that's supposed to combat anti-Semitism.”

In the weeks since Trump was assassinated at a rally in Pennsylvania, he has been restricted by increasing security measures, according to reports from the ^ “Washington Post: The Secret World”. Planning the events took longer due to security concerns and “impacted the way we wanted to campaign,” some advisers say.

While some Republican circles are internally venting their frustration that Trump continues to focus on issues with which he appears unable to convince voters in the swing states, many are publicly expressing their confidence in Trump's campaign team.

“He's got some real professionals helping him and I'm sure they know better than I do what they need to do to win. So I just hope they win,” said Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), who is running to become the next Republican Senate leader after Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) resigns in November.

Dennis Lennox, a Republican consultant from Michigan, simply said, “Trump will be Trump,” downplaying the impact of what some see as his recent missteps.

“Today, in 2024, and nine years after Trump's first run for president, we have to accept that Trump is going to be Trump. He is unchanging,” said Dennis Lennox, a Republican consultant from Michigan. “I'm not sure there are any undecided voters at this point. If you haven't made up your mind by now, you probably won't vote.”

“With absentee ballots and early voting by mail declining in several states, we are now past the persuasion phase of the campaign. The rest of the calendar between now and official Election Day is about voter turnout,” Lennox added.

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Still, some Republicans point out that Trump still benefits from a better political environment than Harris and faces an unpopular administration.

“This is a race that Trump can definitely win. He needs to focus on [Harris] “He is responsible for the record of Biden and Harris, and he needs to make that very clear and talk about issues that have a direct impact on what voters say matters most, which is inflation and the economy,” said the chairman of a center-right Republican organization in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity.