Vanity Fair's Gabriel Sherman is reporting that many of former President Donald Trump's backers are bewildered by the way he's conducting himself, and they believe it seems like he's trying to deliberately lose the 2024 presidential race.
In fact, one Republican source described as "close to the campaign" went so far as to tell Sherman, "It’s like he’s choosing to lose."
Some of Sherman's sources believe that Trump may have post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from the failed attempt on his life last month.
Others, however, believe that Trump cannot get over the fact that President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and that he now has to face off against Vice President Kamala Harris, who is roughly two decades younger than he is.
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Trump has regularly ranted to allies that "they cheated by swapping Biden," thus forcing him to run against a much more energetic presence on the campaign trail, revealed one of Sherman's sources.
Additionally, writes Sherman, Trump's allies have had an impossible time warning him against making self-destructive attacks on Harris.
"Trump’s advisers have implored him to launch policy attacks on Harris instead of using juvenile nicknames like Laffin Kamala and Kamabla," Sherman writes.
"Longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone is among those who want Trump to change tactics. 'I do think it’s counterproductive to call her stupid,' he told me. Trump has rejected his team’s advice. According to the Republican close to the campaign, Trump tells his advisers: 'I know what I’m doing.'"