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In a month and a week, people in Pennsylvania will begin casting their votes for President of the United States. Many people will cast their votes before the events unfold in the final month of the campaign. In Pennsylvania, John Fetterman won his Senate election because his campaign team kept him well hidden until the bulk of the voting had taken place. The media now seems to be doing this for Kamala Harris. Just as they protected Joe Biden, they will protect Harris.
Donald Trump could bypass the national media. Even though opinion polls have now swung toward Harris, Trump still leads on most issues in those polls. On immigration, crime, the economy, and foreign policy, more Americans prefer Trump than Harris. Trump can and should take advantage of this by bypassing a national press that is not challenging Harris.
Trump should tour the swing states and utilize local media. Right now, Trump is letting JD Vance do the legwork. But the signs show Trump in the lead, not Vance. People are voting for Harris or Trump, not Vance or Tim Walz. The 500,000 Americans who will decide who will be our next president aren’t going to watch Trump’s livestream with a Twitch influencer. They’re tired from a long day. They trust the anchor at their local news station who has been behind the news desk for 30 years. This man or woman, they think, is fair and one of us. If Trump does an interview with this person, swing voters in swing states will listen. An interview with Elon Musk on a platform most Americans don’t use won’t yield the same return on investment.
On Monday, Trump was supposed to fly to Wisconsin and do interviews with local reporters. He was supposed to drive to Eau Claire, where Harris and Vance were a few days ago. He was supposed to sit down with a local news anchor. He was supposed to record an interview for the evening news. Then he was supposed to get on a plane and fly to Green Bay and do the same thing there. Then go down to Madison and repeat the whole thing.
Do the same thing in Michigan on Tuesday – interviews with local news anchors who see the swing voters as they sit down, open a beer, and unwind from their day at work. Go to Pennsylvania, then Georgia, then Arizona, then Nevada. Focus on immigration, crime, and the economy. Kamala Harris can talk about joy and sentiment. Trump can talk about the children killed by illegal immigrants and how he’s going to make food affordable again.
In recent weeks, Trump seems to be out of form. He’s angry Trump again. He’s alienated Republican voters in Georgia with attacks on Governor Brian Kemp. Be humorous and charming and make Kemp smile if you can. Throw an event. Create unity, not division – it’s not hard, but it can be humiliating.
Trump’s supporters seem very insistent that everyone must rally behind Donald Trump to save the country. From a partisan perspective, they see the need for unity. From a practical, political perspective, independent voters don’t need Trump. Donald Trump needs them. He needs to give them something to vote for. Trump supporters who insist that everyone needs to swallow their pride, stop bitching, and get on board can say that because they’re already on board. But many voters want to be wooed and know that from a practical perspective, Trump needs them. They don’t need him. He needs to persuade them. Intimidating them will only make them stay home or vote for the opposition.
The best way to make your voice heard and to get the attention of swing voters is to go to the local press. The national press hates Donald Trump. The local press wants the ratings. They will ask tough questions, but they will be the local, trusted faces. Trump has stories to tell. Every state is affected by illegal immigration and fentanyl. Every state has higher food and gas prices than when Trump was in office, and most have higher crime rates.
If Trump wants to win, it’s time for a fresh start, and he can do that at the local level in the swing states.
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