Has Trump Hit the Wall?
A string of canceled events in recent weeks is prompting reports that Donald Trump is experiencing exhaustion as the oldest presidential candidate in U.S. history nears the end of a grueling monthslong campaign season.
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, backed out of a virtual town hall Tuesday, though he still held a roundtable with Latino leaders in Florida and a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina. The roundtable was notable for Trump’s personal attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris. He called her “lazy as hell” for not holding a campaign event – an accusation that not only prompted criticism that Trump was using racist stereotypes but was greeted with amusement by the Harris campaign, which noted Trump’s own slowing schedule.
Insults against Harris and President Joe Biden regularly feature in Trump’s often-rambling stump speeches – much to the chagrin of his advisers, who for months have been urging the former president to remain disciplined in his message to voters. Critics point to such lapses – along with notorious digressions that just in recent days included speculation about the genitalia of famed professional golfer Arnold Palmer or an abrupt end to a campaign event for what was reported as 40 minutes of dancing – in suggesting Trump’s demanding timetable has taken its toll.
The Trump campaign warned against jumping to conclusions about his canceled events and pushed back at allegations the candidate was losing steam, saying claims of exhaustion were “unequivocally false.” The campaign chalked up the cancellations to scheduling conflicts, but the recent no-shows have fueled allegations that Trump is tiring or, worse yet, planning to claim victory on Election Day regardless of the outcome.
Todd Belt, director of the Political Management Program at George Washington University, says the canceled campaign engagements are not normal, but nothing about Trump’s campaign style is particularly normal. Belt said it’s likely Trump is skipping events he doesn’t view as likely to help him.
“Does this mean that Donald Trump is going to challenge it no matter what? No, he wants to win outright, and he really, really wants a popular vote victory so that he can claim an electoral mandate,” Belt says. “So he's not slowing down because he's putting all of his eggs in the litigation basket. He's slowing down because of something else. I think there are some internal reports that said that he is exhausted. And, I mean, he's 78 years old, and this is an exhausting thing to be campaigning all the time and to be traveling so much.”
Belt says it’s also possible Trump is skipping events geared toward undecided voters and attending events – and conserving his energy – for his base. Tuesday’s event, for example, featured Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, two former Democrats who have endorsed Trump and who he frequently cites when appealing to voters outside the GOP.
“He's just trying to activate the base. That's really been his MO all the time. And he doesn't seem to think he needs to change that,” Belt says. “The point of these rallies and all these things is to energize your voters and to get them to talk to their friends and to get them to continue to volunteer, to canvas, to get the vote out through Election Day. And if you don't have the requisite energy to enthuse other people, then you might be doing yourself a disservice.”
Here’s a look at some of the recent events Trump has bowed out of:
- Earlier this month, Trump backed out of a “60 Minutes” interview. CBS News said the campaign offered “shifting explanations” for why, which included not wanting to be fact-checked and resentment over their Hunter Biden coverage. The program traditionally features back-to-back interviews with the presidential candidates.
- Trump also reportedly agreed to appear on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” and on NBC News’ Philadelphia affiliate before canceling. The Trump campaign cited scheduling conflicts as the reason behind the change of plans.
- Last week, Trump was reportedly in talks to do a sit-down interview with The Shade Room, a site geared towards young Black men. But those discussions fell apart. A Shade Room producer said Trump’s team cited exhaustion as the main reason and offered rapper Waka Flocka Flame as a replacement. The Trump campaign has since denied the exhaustion report.
