Over the past few weeks, Donald Trump’s campaign tactic to rip opponent Kamala Harris to shreds with his insults has Republicans concerned that he is taking it too far and will ultimately impair his hopeful victory in November.
Instead of highlighting how he will address America’s issues and how Harris will not, the former president has decided to focus on berating the Democratic nominee’s character rather than her policies. His rhetoric questioning Harris’ race, demeaning her intelligence, and accusing her of playing puppet master with President Joe Biden is getting old.
Members of the GOP are especially concerned that Trump’s campaign tactics might mess up their plans to win back the Senate majority as they watch Harris cut the Republican candidate’s lead in battleground states like Florida and Ohio and poll ahead of him in other states that could be openings for Republicans to take seats.
Some of Trump’s most prominent supporters, such as South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, are calling for him to back off his “showman” approach and refocus on getting swing voters on his side, pointing to Harris’ track record with border security, taxes, and the economy. Graham has said that Trump has policies that “are good” and he “can win,” but he “may not” if he persists with his current strategy.
GOP strategists and former Republican aides have voiced their concern as well. Ron Bonjean said that having Harris on the ballot provides Republicans with a chance to highlight policy differences between the two candidates—but Trump is not seizing that opportunity.
According to Bonjean, the former president has “started” to shift to discuss Harris’ policies but is unable to avoid the temptation to rile up a crowd through “going after her personally.” He added that while this approach will result in “a great reaction” from rally-goers, it is “doing nothing” for voters who are trying to compare the two candidates.
Matthew Bartlett, another Republican strategist, described Trump’s approach as a “public nervous breakdown.” He pointed out that the former president easily won the GOP primary election and “pummeled” Biden in a debate that led him to drop out of the race. But now the same candidate is struggling to act with “discipline and effective messaging,” adding that what is unfolding now is the “absolute melt down” of both a candidate and his campaign.
