Politics news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Inside team Trump’s ‘ill-prepared’ midterm strategy and missed red flags before blue tsunami.. as aides scrambled and president focused on ballroom
Republican strategists were reportedly frustrated by Donald Trump’s approach to the midterm elections, which ended in a major Democratic victory in both chambers of Congress. A report says advisers saw warning signs in voters’ views on the Iran war, candidate choices and campaign spending, while Trump’s attention was at times on his planned ballroom.
Trump reportedly delayed approving money from a $400 million campaign fund until August, leaving Republicans to buy advertising later and at higher prices. In Alaska, his super PAC is said to have paid $30,000 for an evening news slot that Democrats had reserved for $2,700, and received 70 per cent fewer ads for four times the spending of leading Democratic super PACs. Polling by chief strategist Tony Fabrizio found voters worried the Iran war broke Trump’s promise to avoid foreign conflicts, but advisers’ concerns were reportedly not acted on.
In short
- Democrats won both chambers in a major midterm upset.
- Trump reportedly delayed releasing $400 million for campaign spending.
- Advisers’ polling flagged voter concerns about the Iran war.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A strong defence is that midterm campaigns involve uncertain choices, and advisers may have had to balance competing priorities, limited time and a large field of candidates. Delaying spending could be seen as an effort to retain control over a substantial fund until the campaign picture became clearer, while polling concerns about the Iran war did not necessarily show that changing course would improve results.
The case against
The case for criticism is that the reported warnings gave Trump and his team an opportunity to address voter concerns and use campaign resources more effectively. Delayed funding, costly advertising and limited response to polling could have weakened Republican candidates, while attention to a personal project may suggest that electoral priorities were not given enough focus.
Elections Government Politics World