Trump, unnerved and exposed, tries to breathe new life into his flagging campaign
- The former US president’s campaign has been struggling to regain focus after Joe Biden stepped aside for Kamala Harris
Donald Trump has never lacked self-confidence, but his presidential campaign has been sent into a tailspin by the extraordinary events of the past month, and suddenly he appears older, more awkward and grasping for direction.
An assassination attempt, the shock withdrawal of US President Joe Biden from the White House race and replacement by his younger, high-energy vice-president, Kamala Harris, all seem to have taken a toll on a candidate who – until recently – had seemed well on course for victory in November.
President Biden’s exit has been particularly impactful, removing a rival whose 81 years, faltering speech and physical frailties had largely shielded Trump from scrutiny of his own age and weaknesses.
Now it is Trump, 78, who is the oldest presidential nominee in history, and the point of comparison is a 59-year-old former prosecutor who has come out fast and swinging.
Trump is “very upset” as he huddles with aides searching for a new campaign narrative, said Anthony Scaramucci, who served briefly as Trump’s White House communications director in 2017 before the two had a falling out.
“He is now frightened, he is now cornered, and he is very angry,” Scaramucci told MSNBC.