Donald Trump It is unlikely to win the reliably Democratic strongholds of California, New York or Colorado in this year’s presidential election.
Yet the Republican Party’s presidential candidate will be campaigning there anyway, less than four weeks after Election Day, spending valuable time and resources that could otherwise be used to win battleground states where he stands a much better chance against vice president. President Kamala Harris.
Nevertheless, Trump’s campaign sees upcoming rallies in Coachella, California, New York City and Aurora, Colorado, as “an effective strategy to blame immigration and border security problems” on Harris and other Democrats, according to Axios. That narrative, despite his opposition to the bipartisan border bill, is consistent with Trump’s criticism of Democratic-led cities and states that predates his first run for president in 2016.
“Under Kamala Harris and her dangerous Democratic allies like Tim Walz, the infamous ‘California Dream’ has turned into a nightmare for everyday Americans,” Trump’s campaign said in a press release announcing this weekend’s rally in the Coachella Valley in the desert Southwest. -California was announced.
A native of California, Harris represents the state in the U.S. Senate and served as attorney general before becoming vice president. Trump is sure to go after her record and other California Democrats at his rally this weekend.
But Ammar Moussa, director of rapid response for Harris’ campaign, mocked the former president’s decision to campaign in a deep blue state just days after the election.
“Oh no. This is extremely worrying for our campaign,” Moussa said on X, formerly Twitter. “Please don’t go to Coachella, CALIFORNIA 24 days before the election.”
Coachella is in a safely rated Democratic district held by Representative Raul Ruiz. Trump’s visit there, however, could help endangered Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, whose district borders Ruiz’s and is considered competitive.
Some Republicans have also argued that the event could resonate with Latino voters across the country, who have seen a shift to the right in recent years. Polling data shows that Democrats’ lead among Latino voters, for example, is at its lowest level in the past four presidential cycles.
“Of course it’s in California, but dismiss the message at your peril,” veteran GOP political consultant Mike Madrid warned in a post on X.
But Trump could send the same message by instead campaigning in nearby Arizona, a true swing state with many Latino voters. According to Five Thirty-Eight’s polling average, he is currently just one point ahead of Harris.
According to NBC News, Trump will also host a rally in New York City at the famed Madison Square Garden on October 27, just nine days before Election Day. The location for that event – Midtown Manhattan – is even more mysterious. He could have chosen to campaign on New York’s conservative-leaning Long Island instead, as he did last month, to help several Republican incumbents of the House of Representatives there.
Trump’s visit to Aurora this Friday comes in the wake of his false claims about the attack on immigrants there during last month’s presidential debate against Harris. The former president said that “Venezuelan gangs have taken over entire apartment buildings” in the city – a statement refuted by the mayor and other local officials.
Doug Heye, former communications director for the Republican National Committee, told HuffPost that “you would think” Trump’s time would be better spent campaigning in battleground states.
Harris, meanwhile, is holding rallies this weekend in Arizona and Pennsylvania, another crucial battleground that could determine the presidential race.
