Donald Trump and his allies have been thrown for a loop by Kamala Harris' swift ascension as the likely Democratic nominee.
The former president's team had prepared for the possibility that president Joe Biden would drop out, but they were surprised when he actually did it Sunday and caught off guard when Democrats quickly coalesced around the vice president instead of stumbling through weeks of turmoil, reported the New York Times.
"Mr. Trump was furious about the switch,' the newspaper reported. "He complained it was unfair that Democrats were forcing him to start over with a new opponent after he had spent all that time and money fighting Mr. Biden. His team considered mounting legal challenges to her campaign committee to make it harder for Ms. Harris to hit the ground running."
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The ex-president has found himself in the unfamiliar position of playing second fiddle to Harris in organic "earned media" coverage, as she has electrified social media users and enjoyed largely positive news media coverage while raking in more than $120 million in donations, but Trump allies reject the notion that they've been unable to settle on a message against her.
“As for the news cycle, really?” said Trump campaign spokesman Brian Hughes. “There’s more demand to attend our events and donate to the campaign than ever before.”
Trump is still trying out nicknames to insult Harris, including "Laffin' Kamala," but lately he has recycled jibes he's used against other opponents and seemingly settled on "crooked" for now, but Republicans close to the former president are worried that he and his allies will lean too far into racist and misogynist attacks.
“The natives are getting restless, and in the absence of direction from the top, your best surrogates can turn into your worst enemy,” said Liam Donovan, a former National Republican Senatorial Committee aide. “Republicans know they don’t like Kamala Harris, but they need a coherent, coordinated message if they’re going to convince the rest of the country.”
Harris for now has been capitalizing on the wall-to-wall coverage while the Trump team figures out its messaging, but that dynamic won't last for long.
"[She] has literally jumped out into campaigning with energy and joy, and the Trump team isn’t sure what will work against her yet," said Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen. “I do think the Trump team will find their footing, though, and this will get hard and ugly.”
