Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Beware the "Harris Honeymoon," a Trump team pollster said in an internal memo. In the message, Tony Fabrizio cautioned that though Kamala Harris will likely see a bump in national polls in the upcoming week, nobody should panic because nothing major has changed for them.
Fabrizio said that the consistent, largely positive media coverage of Harris will inevitably energize Democrats and give her a polling edge prior to the Democratic National Convention on August 19.
"The Democrats and the MSM will try and tout these polls as proof that the race has changed," he wrote. "But the fundamentals of the race stay the same."
Fabrizio emphasized that voters remain upset about the economy and immigration, both of which are issues they are already connecting with Harris. They will, he goes on, eventually refocus on her connection to Biden because "Harris can't change who she is or what she' (sic) done."
The appeal to remaining calm comes as Trump's orbit adjusts to the new reality of a race without Biden. The campaign had perfected its attacks against Biden, namely about his age, and now must retrofit its campaign strategy to a new opponent. Some are apparently even questioning whether choosing JD Vance as a vice president was a wise choice given the new dynamics.
Trump himself is raging about the money he spent targeting Biden and said on Truth Social that he should be "reimbursed for fraud." Pouring salt on the wound, Harris' campaign announced record fundraising numbers in its first 24 hours and is racking up key endorsements.
Though it's barely been 48 hours since Biden ended his reelection campaign, some pollsters have already started testing Harris against Trump. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Monday and Tuesday found that Harris has a marginal two-percentage-point lead over Trump, at 44% compared to 42%. The lead, however, falls within the margin of error.
Before Biden dropped out, he was trailing Trump by two percentage points in a similar poll.
Some Republicans immediately leaned into racist and sexist rhetoric after Harris became the likely Democratic nominee, with one GOP lawmaker calling her a "DEI hire." Harris' very womanhood may pose a challenge for Trump, who often crosses the line when criticizing women and may alienate female voters.
For all of Fabrizio's advice to remain calm, the MAGA ecosystem seems at least somewhat spooked by their new opponent.
