Former President Donald Trump’s closing media strategy amounts to a series of home games — a schedule that leans heavily toward conservative media and away from regular interviews — as Vice President Kamala Harris virtually visits audiences across a broader swath of the political spectrum.
The divergent positions provide clues about where the two candidates stand and how they hope to win, according to interviews with officials from both campaigns and outside political strategists. Trump is largely, but not entirely, focused on finding and mobilizing voters who already agree with him. Harris is trying to do the same with people who elect her, but she’s also working to win over a portion of the electorate that’s still undecided about her.
“There is a belief that movable voters are late,” said a Harris campaign official, who described the thinking behind her approach on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on her behalf.
With three weeks to go before Election Day, both candidates have added a solid mix of non-traditional channels known more for their cultural relevance than their political significance. That signals a race against time to find unlikely voters and get them to the polls.
“Both the Trump and Harris campaigns have focused on cultural podcasts, entertainment media and talk shows, all of which could be critical in activating certain segments of the voting population,” said Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist.
“This should be a complementary approach to a wide range of traditional news media and interviews,” he said. “But 2024 appears to be an exercise in the grand replacement theory of presidential media strategy, and it is unclear whether friendly grassroots interviews will be enough to reach the voters who matter.”
In the past week, Trump has appeared on popular podcasts aimed at conservative young men, lending his voice to the shows “Full Send,” “Bussin’ With the Boys” and “Flagrant.” At the same time, he canceled an interview with CNBC and opted not to participate in a party nominee’s traditional “60 Minutes” segment on CBS.
Trump often ridicules nonpartisan media as “fake news” and an “enemy of the public,” but he has not abandoned these platforms completely. On Tuesday, his interview with John Micklethwait, editor-in-chief of the market-oriented Bloomberg News, turned combative at times. On Wednesday, Trump spoke with Spanish-language giant Univision. And, his campaign officials note, he regularly gives press conferences to a range of media outlets, including reporters from major broadcast and cable networks.
They say Harris’ decision to appear on Fox News on Wednesday, along with recent appearances in friendlier media environments such as the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Howard Stern’s show and ABC’s “The View,” are a sign of sudden desperation after a period earlier in her career. campaign in which she was criticized for avoiding interviews altogether.
“She’s clearly doing a Hail Mary,” said Danielle Alvarez, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, referring to a free-for-all passing play by a football team when it is behind at the end of the game.
Trump’s core message to voters is consistent across all platforms, she said.
“The way we convince them is to talk about the economy, No. 1, talk about the border, No. 2, and remind people what life was like when he was in power,” Alvarez added.
Since she took over as Democratic nominee for President Joe Biden, Harris’ media strategy has evolved. Initially, she did not participate in interviews. Then, in recent weeks, she dipped her toes into the waters of friendly media – daytime and late-night hosts, podcasts and a session with radio personality Charlamagne Tha God. With the Fox News interview Wednesday and a CNN town hall scheduled for next week, she is clearly moving into less accommodating territory.
A second Harris campaign official said her team believes it is now in a very narrow window where undecided voters are paying attention, and that she can actually break through. This official said development means Harris has to appear in unconventional places and argue her case.
Harris aides are also using her strategy to contrast Trump, saying the former president will only answer questions in a friendly environment while she will appear in different locations.
Specifically, this official said Harris’ appearance on Fox News is indicative of the fact that she needs white, working-class women. She’s trying to reach these Fox viewers who are motivated by abortion and economic issues. That same logic led to the Harris campaign’s decision to run ads on Fox News.
It’s not clear how much either candidate will benefit from their end-of-season media blitzes, no matter how friendly or confrontational the interviews are. To some experts, they seem haphazard.
“There is no logic, rhyme or reason to what any of these candidates are doing,” said Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis. “This is darts at the dartboard.”
Bartlett, the Republican strategist, said that at this point in the campaign, new information is unlikely to change the minds of many voters or drive hordes of unlikely voters to the polls.
“Is there anything that Donald Trump can say or can be said about him that an American hasn’t heard in over a decade? And is there anything Harris can say or do in the next three weeks that could change her impressions? during the few months [she has been running] or make up for a short-tempered presidential candidate?” he asked.
“You get the feeling that the pie is baked, and now it’s just a question of whose goose is done,” he said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
