Political strategic guru Karl Rove admitted on Friday that President Donald Trump is trailing in his reelection bid against Joe Biden, but with the right shift in strategy, that could change.
“Let’s be honest about it: The president is behind today,” Rove said on Fox News' "America's Newsroom," referring to a slate of recent polls showing Trump trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden nationally and in several key states.
“These things happen in campaigns,” Rove said. “The question is not, ‘Where are the polls today,’ but, ‘What does the president need to do in order to regain the advantage?’”
Rove has been giving strategy advice to Trump's campaign manager during a time when Republicans have worried about the president's perception during national turmoil.
Some GOP lawmakers have complained about how Trump has dealt with the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide protests over police brutality and systemic racism.
“I think right now obviously Trump has a problem with the middle of the electorate, with independents, and they’re the people who are going to decide a national election,” Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said Wednesday.
Thune added, “I think he can win those back, but it will probably require not only a message that deals with substance and policy, but I think a message that conveys a perhaps different tone.”
And during a Thursday town hall, Trump neglected to drill down on specific goals for a second term.
“What does he want to do next? No president gets reelected by simply saying, ‘I’ve done a good job,’” Rove said. He added, Trump “needs to get a better answer” to what he intends to accomplish.
“You can’t win unless you’ve got a disciplined, focused campaign strategy,” Rove said. “And these polls point to the president and his team needing to reexamine what they’re doing and come up with a better game plan.”
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