With only 3 and a half weeks left until the election day, Republican presidential candidate Trump’s campaign strategy has surprised many by actively holding rallies in several traditional Democratic strongholds, attracting great attention from the public.
Trump held a rally in Southern California on Saturday (October 12). His campaign team also announced that the former president will hold a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on October 27.
The day before heading to California (October 11), Trump also participated in a campaign rally in Colorado and is scheduled to visit Illinois on October 15.
In the final sprint of the presidential campaign, time is extremely precious for candidates. Many wonder why Trump would hold rallies in these blue states, even though his chances of winning these states are very slim to nonexistent.
According to Fox, it has been 40 years since a Republican candidate won in New York State in a presidential election; 36 years for California and Illinois, and 20 years for Colorado.
When asked about Trump’s strategy of holding campaign events in blue states in October, a senior campaign adviser told Fox News that choosing high-impact venues can force the media to cover the issues and solutions Trump presents.
“We live in a nationalized media environment. The national media’s coverage of these large-scale, unconventional events increases the spread of his message nationwide and can penetrate every battleground state,” the campaign adviser said.
Republican strategist Jesse Hunt pointed out that Trump’s focus on holding rallies in blue states is not about geographical location, but more about delivering a message.
Hunt said that Trump is creating unique and interesting contrasting scenes, which can then be transmitted to the vast audiences of the states that the Trump campaign cares about.
Regarding Trump’s rally in Coachella, California on Saturday, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung stated in a press release that it showcases Trump’s ability to provide the right solutions for every state and every American.
Fox mentioned that the rally in Coachella could also help Trump gain more support from Latino voters, not only in the southeastern region of California but also in nearby Arizona and Nevada. Latino voters have been trending towards supporting the Republican Party in recent years. Arizona and Nevada are two of the seven key swing states in the presidential election.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump held a Latino roundtable in Las Vegas and praised the Latino community.
According to the Associated Press, Tim Lineberger, who served as Trump’s communications director during his campaign in Michigan in 2016 and had worked in the previous administration, mentioned that Trump’s visit to California for a rally is to “activate” his supporters in the state.
Lineberger recalled that in 2016, California supporters made phone calls on behalf of Trump to voters in Michigan. He said that the decision to enter Democratic territory at this time is “an aggressive and offensive strategy.”
Trump’s visit to California may also have other reasons, says Republican strategist Tim Rosales. The congressional elections could determine which party controls the House of Representatives, and the rallies in California are “a way to inspire and energize California Republicans.”
Fox reported that Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett believes that Trump’s strategy also carries risks. In the final days of the election, if this strategy proves ineffective, it could lead to a situation similar to Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016. In the final days of the 2016 election, Hillary poorly managed her time, failed to focus on key swing states, and neglected areas that needed voter turnout efforts.