There is a lot of advice circulating in Republican circles suggesting that Donald Trump should change his campaign strategies and drop his relentless attacks on rivals and focus more on policy.
But one of the former president’s key allies told DailyMail.com his strategy is wise and accused the media of inflating the polls or performance against Kamala Harris.
It’s been nearly a month since Vice President Harris entered the 2024 race and she still hasn’t held a press conference or participated in an interview with the press. What’s more, Trump’s team is tired of the media giving the Democratic nominee a “free pass.”
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) conceded that Trump must remain focused on policy, but he stressed that Harris must be “held accountable” by reporters for the Biden administration’s policies.
“The challenge that President Trump has — he’s not really running against Kamala Harris,” Johnson said. “He’s running against someone who the media has put on a pedestal and who has essentially proclaimed the new messiah.”
Senator Ron Johnson (R) told DailyMail.com on Monday at Trump Tower in Chicago, Illinois that Donald Trump’s challenge in the new 2024 race is that he’s not really running against Kamala Harris. ‘He’s running against someone who the media has put on a pedestal and basically proclaimed the new messiah.’
“She will not be investigated, she will not be held accountable for the policies of the Biden administration. Just this vision of how great America can be, I think,” the senator added while speaking to DailyMail.com at Trump Tower in Chicago, Illinois on Monday.
‘It is difficult to compare that with the established media when they do that with a candidate, they do not ask difficult questions.’
Johnson, the Republican ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, joined fellow Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) for a news conference touting Trump’s economic proposals at the former president’s estate in the host city of the Democratic National Convention.
Trump’s surrogates hold press conferences every day of the convention.
Asked about recent comments from Trump allies and Republican political strategists urging Trump to focus on policy rather than insults, Johnson said, “Yes, I think of course we need to focus on the contradictions in policy, because what she’s proposing is truly astonishing.”
He then lashed out at Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, for his liberal ideologies.
“She already has the burden of selecting someone who is clearly a defender and lover of communist China, who promotes all kinds of socialist policies, and then she comes along with these kinds of policies that only confirm what people already suspected based on her selection,” the Wisconsin Republican told DailyMail.com.
“So it’s still a challenge if the media only focuses on her winning,” he concluded.
Some allies and Republican strategists argue that Trump should tone down the attacks and focus more on policy in the months leading up to the November election — but proxies say his strategy is fine
Meanwhile, Senator Scott joined the discussion, saying he thought the campaign was doing a “good job.”
“I think Trump has a message that resonates,” the Florida senator added. “Look at these rallies. I mean, look at how many tens of thousands of people show up, and nobody shows up for her.”
“The fact that he can have a press conference and explain what he’s doing, and she can’t explain anything at all, right? So no, I think, I think they’re doing a fantastic job of running a great race,” he continued.
“They talk about the issues. He has policy ideas that he can explain and defend.”