A Bloomberg News report outlined the case that President Donald Trump's campaign "reboot" may have come too late, not just for his political career but to save Americans from the impact of the coronavirus.
The latest polling for Trump shows him losing in Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and things aren't looking good for him in states like North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.
"Trump canceled the Republican National Convention set for Jacksonville, Florida, weeks after shifting most of the meeting, including his acceptance speech, from North Carolina with great fanfare," Bloomberg explained. "While some expressed relief at avoiding what could have become a Covid-19 super-spreader event, it robbed Republicans of a showcase of party unity and an infomercial for a second Trump term."
Finally, Republicans are holding up COVID-19 stimulus bills at a time when Americans are struggling to pay their rent and mortgage. The additional supplemental for unemployment ends this month, and many people will be thrust into serious economic struggles. Suddenly, deciding COVID-19 isn't going to spontaneously vanish isn't likely to have the impact that Trump was hoping because he's already spent seven months claiming that the virus is fake and that it would disappear "by April."
Meanwhile, there are right-wing Republicans making things worse for Trump. Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) attacking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) by calling her a "f*cking bitch," doesn't help Trump with the women whose votes he desperately needs. At the same time, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who has never been moderate or liberal in her life, is now being attacked by her fellow Republicans for defending Dr. Anthony Fauci. Then Trump turned a report about suburban women into being about "housewives."
Polling analyst Tim Malloy from Quinnipiac University explained, "there are red flags everywhere" for Trump. "There is nothing in the most recent polling, nationally or in the states, that has a sort of hidden window of solace or escape for him. There is nothing there."
While Trump's base may be loyal, Trump can't win with just his base; he must be able to collect the votes from former Obama voters, independents and older Americans. When Republican leaders join with Fox News to campaign for older Americans to sacrifice their lives for Trump's economy, polling numbers among the demographic began to sink.
"Malloy said Trump has always polled poorly on questions of empathy, and that it's gotten worse," Bloomberg reported. "His one advantage was always the economy, which has also dried up. It's not clear how often Trump will hold his briefings as he looks to retake the agenda. Even then, it may not matter."
