WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — As Donald Trump pivots towards his new campaign against Kamala Harris, his team is banking on securing younger male voters to gain a critical advantage in the upcoming presidential election.
With President Joe Biden stepping back from the race, Trump’s Republican campaign faces a vastly altered electoral landscape. While the polls indicate a tighter competition with Harris as the Democratic nominee, the campaign believes that voter discontent over national and economic matters remains a key factor.
“What we’re experiencing is like a surreal reflection on the state of the race,” stated a Trump campaign pollster during a briefing in West Palm Beach.
Trump emphasized this sentiment during a recent press conference at Mar-a-Lago, asserting that the initial excitement surrounding Harris would be short-lived. He claimed, “We have the enthusiasm,” while downplaying the crowds Harris has attracted.
While Trump’s campaign acknowledges that Harris has galvanized the Democratic voter base and leads in fundraising efforts, they assert that their financial backing remains sufficient for a competitive campaign. Trump’s campaign reported $138.7 million raised in July, in stark contrast to Harris’s impressive $310 million haul.
With less than three months until the election, campaign strategists are concentrating on persuading a specific demographic identified as crucial to victory. These potential voters—constituting approximately 11% of voters in key battleground states—tend to be younger, predominantly male, and moderate in their political leanings. This group includes a significant representation of Asians and Hispanics.
Their dissatisfaction with the economy and personal financial situations is palpable, leaving them skeptical about future improvements.
“We’re focused on a very select group of voters,” the pollster noted, indicating the campaign’s approach to connect with them outside traditional media channels. The strategy includes modern outreach methods that recognize their preference for streaming over traditional news.
Trump’s campaign aims to engage this audience through various platforms, acknowledging shifts in communication trends relevant to younger voters.
While campaign officials recognize that Democratic voters are more energized than during Biden’s candidacy, they believe Harris struggles to attract swing voters. Over the next few months, Trump’s team plans to frame Harris as a radical liberal and connect her to unpopular Biden administration policies.
They anticipate that by election time, both candidates might face negative perceptions, but expect voters will lean towards the one they believe can enhance economic conditions.
The campaign has identified particular phrases from Harris—such as “We are not going back”—as potentially detrimental, as some voters feel conditions were better during Trump’s tenure.
Currently, Trump’s campaign reports having staff deployed in 18 states, including battlegrounds and traditionally Democratic-leaning areas like Virginia, which they aim to contest.
With hundreds of paid staff and over 300 offices active across battleground states, the campaign also relies heavily on volunteer efforts.
Drawing from a successful volunteer model from Iowa’s GOP primary, they are enlisting local “caucus captains” to mobilize their neighbors toward voting.
Under the “Trump Force 47” initiative, volunteers are set to engage with low- to medium-propensity voters through canvassing, phone banking, and other community organizing activities.
So far, 12,000 captains have been trained to facilitate voter outreach, with an additional 30,000 volunteers stepping forward and more training sessions planned leading up to Election Day.
The campaign also anticipates significant collaboration with external groups for paid canvassing and get-out-the-vote initiatives, enabled by recent regulatory changes that allow coordinated efforts.
With over 1,000 paid canvassers actively engaging in battleground states, the campaign is targeting the registration of approximately 1.6 million voters in these key areas.
