Aides schedule events to "keep Trump busy" so he's not "golfing all day and stewing": report

"He seems to be phoning it in, running a remarkably low-energy, undisciplined campaign,” former Trump aide says

By Marin Scotten

News Fellow

Published August 26, 2024 10:39AM (EDT)

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks on stage during a campaign event at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on August 23, 2024. (Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks on stage during a campaign event at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on August 23, 2024. (Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

As Vice President Kamala Harris gains momentum following the Democratic National Convention, some of former President Donald Trump’s advisors worry he’s losing focus and spending too much time out on the golf course, The Washington Post reported

Though Trump usually spends August at his Bedminster home golfing, sources told The Post they did not want the former president just “watching the convention every night, getting angry, and then just golfing all day and stewing.” 

Trump’s team scheduled several campaign events to counter the attention from the DNC and to “keep Trump busy,” The Post reported.

“The stakes for Trump this election are arguably the highest they’ve ever been. His criminal cases don’t go away if he loses. Yet he seems to be phoning it in, running a remarkably low-energy, undisciplined campaign,” former White Houses spokeswoman Alyssa Farah told the Post.

Trump's allies have advised him to focus on the economy, immigration and inflation, but Trump has repeatedly strayed from talking about policy issues at events. He instead has continued to personally attack Harris, most recently attempting to brand the Democratic nominee as a communist.  At a packed event in Glendale, Ariz. on Friday, Trump decided on the nickname “Comrade Kamala.”

At another campaign event in Las Vegas that was supposed to focus on the economy, Trump instead repeatedly mocked Harris for thanking the crowd at the DNC. Throughout the week, Trump continued to complain about President Joe Biden withdrawing from the presidential race, something he hasn’t let go of since it was announced over a month ago.

“I spent $100 million fighting against a man that won in their party, and we had a debate and the debate was good for me. And then all of a sudden they take him out and they put somebody new in that never got a vote,” Trump told reporters.

This week, Trump will campaign in Michigan and Pennsylvania, while Harris and her running mate Tim Walz will campaign in Georgia as both candidates fight for swing state votes.

 


MORE FROM Marin Scotten