GOP Senators Say Trump Caught ‘Off Guard’ by Harris’s Momentum Following Biden’s Withdrawal

[Social Media]

 

Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns that former President Trump and his campaign team were taken aback by President Biden’s unexpected decision to withdraw from the 2024 reelection race. This sudden shift has left Trump’s team scrambling to respond to the surge of momentum behind Vice President Kamala Harris, who has stepped in as the Democratic presidential nominee.

 

Some GOP senators believe that Trump should have anticipated the change in the Democratic ticket and crafted a strategy in advance. They see Trump’s awkward comments about Harris’s racial heritage at the National Association of Black Journalists convention as indicative of the campaign’s lack of preparation. The selection of Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) as Trump’s running mate is viewed as further evidence that Trump was caught off guard by Biden’s exit. Vance’s controversial views on issues such as abortion and his disparaging remarks about “childless cat ladies” are seen as potentially damaging, playing into the narratives that Harris and the Democrats are likely to use against him.

 

One Republican senator, who spoke to Trump before the announcement of Vance as his running mate, noted that Trump was skeptical about Biden stepping down. This senator described the campaign’s reaction as shocked and surprised by how quickly the Democratic Party unified behind Harris. The senator emphasized that Harris is more formidable than many Republicans anticipated, pointing out that a shorter election campaign favors her and highlighting her successful fundraising efforts, with Harris announcing she had raised $310 million in July. The lawmaker remarked, “I think they were caught off guard. I think they were surprised. I think there was shock when the Democrats revived [their party] really quickly” and unified support behind Harris. “I think she’s more formidable than Republicans give her credit for. It’s going to be a short election. That favors her. It’s going to be sprint. We’re used to these long elections; this one’s going to end up being short. That helps her.”

 

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close ally of Trump, acknowledged that Trump had considered the possibility of Harris becoming the Democratic nominee. However, he admitted that Trump is struggling to find an effective message against Harris amid the enthusiastic response from the Democratic base. Graham suggested that Trump should focus on policy issues, criticizing Harris for her role in decisions such as the withdrawal from Afghanistan and her involvement as the “border czar.” He commented, “It’s pretty hard; she’s sort of having a honeymoon period here. I think the way forward is, she empowered the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, she was the border czar, on and on and on. Her policy choices have been disastrous for our country. I think that’s the theme.”

 

Democrats have countered Republican criticisms, pointing out that Harris was tasked with addressing the root causes of migration from Central American countries, not directly managing border security. The GOP has been scrambling to gather details on Harris’s record since Biden’s announcement, with Trump making several false claims about her during his first rally after she became the presumptive nominee. He accused Harris, falsely, of wanting to lift the Social Security retirement age, of heading up the criminal and civil prosecutions against him, and of wanting to outlaw red meat to fight climate change.

 

On Wednesday, Trump dropped one of the biggest bombshells of the campaign by falsely claiming that Harris had embraced her Black identity only a few years ago and insisted he didn’t even know whether she was Black or Indian. The comments set off an uproar on Capitol Hill. Democrats condemned Trump’s mocking of Harris’s racial identity, while Republicans rushed to distance themselves from their nominee’s remarks. GOP senators said Trump’s response to Harris’s entry into the race shows the hallmarks of someone who was unprepared for a dramatic turn in the race, even though Biden had been under intense pressure since his disastrous June 27 debate to step aside.

 

Trump on Thursday again tried to make an issue of Harris’s race by circulating a photo of Harris dressed in a sari, a traditional Indian garment, alongside her mother, who was born in Chennai, India. He wrote, “Thank you Kamala for the nice picture you sent from many years ago! Your warmth, friendship, and love of your Indian Heritage are very much appreciated,” in an ironic caption. His post flew in the face of advice from allied GOP senators who were urging him Thursday to drop the talk about race and instead focus on policy differences.

“If you’re running for president or if you want to be CEO of a company, a campaign built on insults of an individual — we should be so far beyond that. It should not be about which nasty name you call somebody,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). “It should be about the issues. I think the American people deserve more than what we’re seeing with this approach to a campaign. I just think it’s wrong.” 

 

A third Republican senator said Trump was “not prepared” for Biden to drop out and for Democrats to agree upon Harris as their nominee so quickly. The lawmaker said Trump seems to have assumed that the political arguments he had been crafting against Biden for years could be shifted over effectively to his vice president, but Harris’s political brand has so far shown itself to be resilient from the old attacks used against the president. The senator remarked, “I think they were counting that if it did happen, the negativity that she experienced in the three-and-half years would immediately take over, and that has not happened.”

 

A fourth Republican senator who is a strong Trump ally said, “I do think they were caught a little off guard,” referring to Trump and his inner circle of advisers. “I kept hearing from my Democrat colleagues that there’s no way President Biden won’t be in the race because he’s the only person that ever beat Trump, and they would stick with him through thick and through thin. And then that didn’t happen. All the conventional wisdom, even coming from Democrats, was Biden was going to go the distance.”

 

This unexpected turn of events has left the Trump campaign needing to quickly adapt and develop a new strategy to counter Harris’s momentum as the election draws nearer.

 

Credit: Hill  2024-08-07

 

 

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[Tug]

I don’t know .trump and the black journalist conference to me it looked like an attempt to intimidate the journalists and to their credit they dident fold.trump shouldent be surprised at Kamala’s popularity folks are just tired of the lies and drama we also share the memory of the freak show trump abomination (administration) we haven’t forgotten we respect our pows we respect our vets we also see the positive change the Biden administration brought us.ditch the albatross take the hit rebuild and come back to contribute in a positive manner!we need the check and balance of both parties!

[stoner]

people are generally caught off guard after a bait and switch. 

[Chomper Higgot]

2 hours ago, stoner said:

people are generally caught off guard after a bait and switch. 

And it was Trump and the rightwing that set themselves up for it.

 

I said all along, if the rightwing thought Biden was an easy win for the Republicans, they should have kept quiet about it.

 

Baited their own trap, put their head right in and now aren’t happy they trapped themselves.

 

 

[stoner]

19 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

And it was Trump and the rightwing that set themselves up for it

 

yes you are correct. i did mention this right after the convention. 

[herfiehandbag]

Politics can be a devious business. I can't help wondering whether there are those (perhaps rather a lot) within the Republican Party, shall we say less than appreciative of Mr Trumps takeover of the party, his crass and boorish campaigning, reflecting his personality and virtually excluding others, marked by his self centred view of the Presidency, a declared lack of interest or concerns for democratic judicial and constitutional matters and to his particular "support movement"; who would not see his failure as rather a positive for the long term hopes of their party. Particularly some with longer term senatorial or gubernatorial ambitions.

[Tug]

4 hours ago, stoner said:

people are generally caught off guard after a bait and switch. 

Lmao 🤣 your boy certainly got schooled by the master lol 😂 just gotta love transferring intact the political campaign machine the money the bulley pulpit and she’s taking off big time!!

[novacova]

6 hours ago, Social Media said:

Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns that former President Trump and his campaign team were taken aback by President Biden’s unexpected decision to withdraw from the 2024 reelection race.

Unexpected? It was not only expected, it was anticipated. 

[stoner]

3 minutes ago, Tug said:

Lmao 🤣 your boy certainly got schooled by the master lol 😂 just gotta love transferring intact the political campaign machine the money the bulley pulpit and she’s taking off big time!!

 

Will you ever atop with that ? There was even a thread are you a Trump fan.

 

Didn't people vote for Biden and not Harris? Don't you think they should of had a convention anyways. 

[Tropicalevo]

And that headline shows just how flawed this dingbat's judgement is.

President? OMFG - pleeeese, not again.

[illisdean]

2 hours ago, novacova said:

Unexpected? It was not only expected, it was anticipated. 

Trump is paying attention, he saw what was coming and like an astute strategist and planner, starting planning, in advance. LOL.

 

 

Trump campaign contingency planning

[candide]

14 minutes ago, illisdean said:

Trump is paying attention, he saw what was coming and like an astute strategist and planner, starting planning, in advance. LOL.

 

 

Trump campaign contingency planning

So he was not caught off guard. That was just bad planning! 😁

[JCauto]

3 hours ago, novacova said:

Unexpected? It was not only expected, it was anticipated.  

Then they sure are incompetent when you consider how flailing and failing their response has been. But we already knew that from when they were the administration, so good to see nothing has changed on that front. 

[JCauto]

3 hours ago, stoner said:

Don't you think they should of had a convention anyways. 

"should have",  or if you prefer, "should've". Sorry to be a grammar Nazi but that one is annoying. 

[spidermike007]

He's not only grossly unprepared he's also panicked and he just does not have a strategy to counter her, and his constant ranting is not helping matters at all, it's just getting boring. He is far too predictable, and terribly uncreative. 

 

Harris IQ likely around 140. Trump IQ likely around 85-95. Trump is increasingly unhinged and incoherent. Harris is scaring this man, and he is losing the plot. But, Harris needs to accept a hostile venue for the debate, to show she can beat him in any environment. Not doing so is foolish and makes her look weak, and scared.

 

From the NY Post, a Murdoch owner paper, and a conservative one. It would appear they are losing faith in Don and James. 

 

A warning to Donald Trump and JD Vance: Tread carefully when it comes to women, including Vice President Kamala Harris. All signs point to a tight race in November, and the GOP ticket is already behind with women: In five battleground states, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Harris leads by 9 points or more with the ladies.

 

Closing that gap may be an uphill battle. Even if Trump were ahead, it would be foolish to ignore the power of women voters: About 7.4 million more women than men were registered to vote in 2022, according to the Center for American Women in Politics, and more women than men have voted in every presidential election since 1964. 

 

Besides, the chance to vote for a woman who feels like a relative newcomer will almost certainly attract female voters who sat out other elections (or even some of those who pulled the lever for Trump in 2016 because they couldn’t stomach the alternative). Sure, there are plenty of women who want what Trump and Vance are selling: school choice, parental rights, a better economy, safer neighborhoods and a more secure border.

 

But this is a different political landscape than 2016, and both Trump and Vance need to keep on the straight and narrow to avoid alienating female voters who might otherwise agree with them on policy.

 

Maybe Trump should start by quitting hurling derogatory nicknames and ad hominem insults at his foes. He can ding Kamala on policy without making crass comments or veering into petty pot shots about her looks or gender that might make women balk.

He and his running mate must certainly avoid missteps like the one Vance made in 2021, when he blasted “childless cat ladies” who run the country but are “miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made.” He also foolishly suggested penalizing women without kids with higher taxes. For real?

 

Vance’s comments resurfaced recently and spread like wildfire on social media, drawing backlash from even conservative women. Trump and Vance need to reassure women that they take them seriously as a voting bloc, and they have no interest in pushing national policy that controls women’s decisions on family matters. The GOP ticket knows women will play a major role in deciding this election — perhaps they should start acting like it.

[JonnyF]

Difficult to say he was caught off guard when he predicted it way in advance.

 

I think he's keeping his powder dry. He'll tear her apart a bit closer to the election, any longer than that and the Liberals will forget it before they vote, they're not known for their memory or intelligence.  

[Captain Flack]

A reported post using derogatory nicknames has been removed.

[RoyLee]

She's so popular she had to be installed since there's no way she could win the nomination the usual way. The news media is just laying the groundwork for the steal by making it plausible she could win. Ps. pro-war neo-con Graham is no ally of Trump.

[BobBKK]

49 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

He's not only grossly unprepared he's also panicked and he just does not have a strategy to counter her, and his constant ranting is not helping matters at all, it's just getting boring. He is far too predictable, and terribly uncreative. 

 

Harris IQ likely around 140. Trump IQ likely around 85-95. Trump is increasingly unhinged and incoherent. Harris is scaring this man, and he is losing the plot. But, Harris needs to accept a hostile venue for the debate, to show she can beat him in any environment. Not doing so is foolish and makes her look weak, and scared.

 

From the NY Post, a Murdoch owner paper, and a conservative one. It would appear they are losing faith in Don and James. 

 

A warning to Donald Trump and JD Vance: Tread carefully when it comes to women, including Vice President Kamala Harris. All signs point to a tight race in November, and the GOP ticket is already behind with women: In five battleground states, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Harris leads by 9 points or more with the ladies.

 

Closing that gap may be an uphill battle. Even if Trump were ahead, it would be foolish to ignore the power of women voters: About 7.4 million more women than men were registered to vote in 2022, according to the Center for American Women in Politics, and more women than men have voted in every presidential election since 1964. 

 

Besides, the chance to vote for a woman who feels like a relative newcomer will almost certainly attract female voters who sat out other elections (or even some of those who pulled the lever for Trump in 2016 because they couldn’t stomach the alternative). Sure, there are plenty of women who want what Trump and Vance are selling: school choice, parental rights, a better economy, safer neighborhoods and a more secure border.

 

But this is a different political landscape than 2016, and both Trump and Vance need to keep on the straight and narrow to avoid alienating female voters who might otherwise agree with them on policy.

 

Maybe Trump should start by quitting hurling derogatory nicknames and ad hominem insults at his foes. He can ding Kamala on policy without making crass comments or veering into petty pot shots about her looks or gender that might make women balk.

He and his running mate must certainly avoid missteps like the one Vance made in 2021, when he blasted “childless cat ladies” who run the country but are “miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made.” He also foolishly suggested penalizing women without kids with higher taxes. For real?

 

Vance’s comments resurfaced recently and spread like wildfire on social media, drawing backlash from even conservative women. Trump and Vance need to reassure women that they take them seriously as a voting bloc, and they have no interest in pushing national policy that controls women’s decisions on family matters. The GOP ticket knows women will play a major role in deciding this election — perhaps they should start acting like it.

 You are so funny - but it does make me smile. Underestimate Trump and American voters at your peril.

[mfd101]

Poor Donald. My heart bleeds.

[Srikcir]

11 hours ago, Social Media said:

We’re used to these long elections

Trump announced his POTUS candidate months too early. But with criminal prosecutions he was facing and the one State conviction, he was betting on avoiding all prosecutions and convication by timing out the judicial appeals system until he was re-elected POUTS. Oops.

[Eric Loh]

11 hours ago, Social Media said:

This unexpected turn of events has left the Trump campaign needing to quickly adapt and develop a new strategy to counter Harris’s momentum as the election draws nearer.

It has been 16 days since Biden’s announcement and we have yet to see any changes of strategy. Trump’s advisers may want to have a new strategy but is Trump listening. It’s Trump’s party and he does as he want. Also the fact that he is an old man and unable to adjust to new situation because of his deterioration of his brain circuit which plays a critical role in goal-directing adjustment. It’s Republican tragedy to have their future weighed down by recalcitrant old man. 

 

[herfiehandbag]

12 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

It has been 16 days since Biden’s announcement and we have yet to see any changes of strategy. Trump’s advisers may want to have a new strategy but is Trump listening. It’s Trump’s party and he does as he want. Also the fact that he is an old man and unable to adjust to new situation because of his deterioration of his brain circuit which plays a critical role in goal-directing adjustment. It’s Republican tragedy to have their future weighed down by recalcitrant old man. 

 

Republican tragedy (?) but perhaps a delicious touch of irony?

[Eric Loh]

6 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Republican tragedy (?) but perhaps a delicious touch of irony?

He has spoken before that he identify more with the Democrats but thank god he decide to run under the Republicans. Thats a fact and a tragedy for the party. History will be unkind to the party. 

[mushroomdave]

Today:   

" We're not going back "

 

Morning Coffee Nov/6:

"  LOCK HIM UP, LOCK HIM UP, LOCK HIM UP!! "

 

 

🤣     🤣    🤣    🤣    🤣   \🤣

[newnative]

1 hour ago, mfd101 said:

Poor Donald. My heart bleeds.

Poor Donald.  My heart's filled with Walz's 'joy'.

[Galong]

Trump gets caught off guard if the teleprompter has a big word on it... or when his KFC bucket lid is on too tight. 

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

He's not only grossly unprepared he's also panicked and he just does not have a strategy to counter her, and his constant ranting is not helping matters at all, it's just getting boring. He is far too predictable, and terribly uncreative. 

 

Harris IQ likely around 140. Trump IQ likely around 85-95. Trump is increasingly unhinged and incoherent. Harris is scaring this man, and he is losing the plot. But, Harris needs to accept a hostile venue for the debate, to show she can beat him in any environment. Not doing so is foolish and makes her look weak, and scared.

 

From the NY Post, a Murdoch owner paper, and a conservative one. It would appear they are losing faith in Don and James. 

 

A warning to Donald Trump and JD Vance: Tread carefully when it comes to women, including Vice President Kamala Harris. All signs point to a tight race in November, and the GOP ticket is already behind with women: In five battleground states, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Harris leads by 9 points or more with the ladies.

 

Closing that gap may be an uphill battle. Even if Trump were ahead, it would be foolish to ignore the power of women voters: About 7.4 million more women than men were registered to vote in 2022, according to the Center for American Women in Politics, and more women than men have voted in every presidential election since 1964. 

 

Besides, the chance to vote for a woman who feels like a relative newcomer will almost certainly attract female voters who sat out other elections (or even some of those who pulled the lever for Trump in 2016 because they couldn’t stomach the alternative). Sure, there are plenty of women who want what Trump and Vance are selling: school choice, parental rights, a better economy, safer neighborhoods and a more secure border.

 

But this is a different political landscape than 2016, and both Trump and Vance need to keep on the straight and narrow to avoid alienating female voters who might otherwise agree with them on policy.

 

Maybe Trump should start by quitting hurling derogatory nicknames and ad hominem insults at his foes. He can ding Kamala on policy without making crass comments or veering into petty pot shots about her looks or gender that might make women balk.

He and his running mate must certainly avoid missteps like the one Vance made in 2021, when he blasted “childless cat ladies” who run the country but are “miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made.” He also foolishly suggested penalizing women without kids with higher taxes. For real?

 

Vance’s comments resurfaced recently and spread like wildfire on social media, drawing backlash from even conservative women. Trump and Vance need to reassure women that they take them seriously as a voting bloc, and they have no interest in pushing national policy that controls women’s decisions on family matters. The GOP ticket knows women will play a major role in deciding this election — perhaps they should start acting like it.

 

Seems that he can't control himself in regards to insulting women/

And I have little doubt that insulting harris will bounce back at him big time. 

 

[zepplin]

The world is soooo sick of trump and his insults , how anyone with a brain could actually think about voting  for him is baffling! 
I hope he loses bigly and gets marched off to jail, right where he belongs!

I do feel sad for the average American, it used to be a great country, it’s absolutely amazing how far it has fallen!

[spidermike007]

17 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

Seems that he can't control himself in regards to insulting women/

And I have little doubt that insulting harris will bounce back at him big time. 

 

This is absolutely correct since women form the majority of the voting populace in the US, and this is something that neither Trump nor Vance seem to understand. It does not appear to me that either of them particularly like or respect women, and lack of respect for women resonates in so many of their speeches, and in so much of what they have to say. 

 

And I am not even referring to the bizarre "just grab them by the p***y" type comments. That was caught on tape. So was his statement to Epstein that "I like them really young, too".