Surge in number of Republicans voting early may not be good news for Trump: Ex-Pence aide

Marc Short, who served as Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, warned Thursday that an increase in Republican voters during early voting may not be something Donald Trump should be celebrating.

MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell spoke with Short and Democratic strategist Alencia Johnson, who served on President Joe Biden's 2020 team. The host asked the two whether they thought the polls showing the candidates being neck and neck in the battleground states were accurate.

Johnson said she believed the race was that close, but Short had a different take.

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He said that, in 2020, Trump was actively telling his supporters not to vote by mail. A spike in early voting numbers now compared to the 2020 election, he said, suggests something ominous for the GOP.

"I think that Trump has solidified his lead in the Sunbelt. She has the advantage in the Blue Wall states," Short estimated.

One key piece he thinks is being ignored, however, is the idea that the Republicans going to the polls early may not be supporting Trump.

"There's more evidence of Republicans crossing over than Democrats crossing over," Short said. "You are looking at [higher] Republican numbers, but I'm not sure that tells a full story right now."

"So, not necessarily a Trump vote," said Mitchell.

"That's right," Short agreed.

Short also pointed out that Trump's strategy of driving up male turnout didn't make a lot of sense to him because there were more female voters in general, and they're also more consistent in voting.

"I think it's a disadvantage," he said of Trump's campaign move..

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