Donald Trump has dazzled the media with his campaigns in non-swing states in recent weeks and months, causing reporters to discuss how the ex-president's strategy might be changing, and that could be the point, according to an analysis.
Trump's "buzzy sideshows" in California, New York, Colorado and more, might seem to be odd for the waning days of a presidential election. But in reality, each stop has played a key role for the former president's strategy, according to a Politico report.
"He’s in NYC? California? It’s all part of the plan," according to the new deep-dive analysis.
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According to Politico, the data show that Trump is actually running a very "traditional" campaign in the swing states. However, his side quests also serve a purpose.
"The former president appeared in Aurora, Colorado, earlier this month to amplify the anti-immigration rhetoric that drives his base, continuing with his demonization of migrants. The next day, he attacked Harris’ progressivism on her home turf of California when he rallied in the Coachella Valley. He is expected to trek to safely red Texas on Friday to join the most popular podcast in the world, hosted by Joe Rogan, as his campaign continues its push to win young, male voters," according to the report. "And headlining Sunday at Madison Square Garden, a longtime dream for the former New Yorker, is as much about the spectacle as the optics of drawing a massive crowd to the national media’s backyard days before an election. On top of that, his visits can give a boost to Republicans in down-ballot races."
Politico goes on to quote Jason Roe, a Michigan-based Republican strategist, about it.
Trump is doing “what he always does, which is find some way for us to all over think and discuss what he’s doing, and make himself the center of the universe,” Roe said.
"He’s “figuring out a way to make one of his strengths a strength again,” Roe then added.
The report also states "Trump is, at his core, more showman than tactician. He obsesses over his crowd sizes and pays close attention to the headlines generated from his events. And those fixations can drive him to some unlikely places."
"Still, parachuting into non-battleground states often provides Trump more reward than risk — giving him buzzy crowds, days of headlines and national platforms through which to broadcast his message to his wider base," Politico states.