The political spotlight will shine bright on Vice President Harris this week at the Democratic National Convention, but former President Donald Trump has no plans of giving up all the attention.
Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, plan to visit vital swing states every single day this week.
“The message that we’re trying to send, other than continuing to define Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, is a very clear signal that there will be no free shots on goal,” said Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller.
Each day will have a theme, starting with an economic speech in Pennsylvania.
“President Donald J. Trump will lay out his agenda today to unleash American energy and lower costs for American families,” the campaign said in a statement.
The following themes mirror those of the Republican National Convention last month in Milwaukee and include crime and safety, national security and immigration.
Trump’s events during the week will be much smaller than his traditional rallies as his campaign attempts to focus more on these issues. Allies have pressed Trump to spend more time speaking about policy and less on personal attacks.
“I want this campaign to win,” said former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Fox News last week. “But the campaign is not going to win talking about crowd sizes. It’s not going to win talking about what race Kamala Harris is. It’s not going to win talking about whether she is dumb. You can’t win on those things.”
“The American people are smart. Treat them like they’re smart,” she added.
The vast majority of the events will be held midafternoon so that they do not compete with prime-time speakers including former President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and other prominent Democrats.
There will also be Republican surrogates in Chicago who will speak every day, reinforcing the day’s theme. Speaking at the Trump hotel on Monday, Florida Sen. Rick Scott touted Trump’s business background while likening Harris’ economic proposals to those you see in Cuba or Venezuela.
“I'm here to help Donald Trump win,” said Scott, talking about the importance of being in Chicago, adding, “to get the message out. We're here to explain the difference between the two of them.”
The Trump campaign wants to disrupt the wave of momentum Harris has enjoyed since she became the nominee.
A new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos national poll showed Harris ahead by 6 points among likely voters, 51% to 45%.
On Monday, Trump will visit an equipment manufacturer in York, Pa. Vance will also speak about the economy in Philadelphia.
On Tuesday, Trump heads to Michigan for a crime and safety event. Vance will be in Wisconsin.
On Wednesday, Trump and Vance will be together in North Carolina for a national security event with veterans and Gold Star families. This is the only event where the running mates will be together as part of this counterprogramming swing.
On Thursday, Trump will talk about the border in Arizona while Vance is in Georgia.
Trump will finish the week with a Friday event in Nevada before returning to rally in Arizona.
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