Asked how deep a hole Trump was in, former Republican National Committee communications director Doug Heye replied, “It looks pretty deep. We all know it was deep this time four years ago, when the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape came out, but this time it appears deeper, in key states and in more states.”
Heye pointed out that Trump faces other problems, too. Regular campaigning is constrained by the coronavirus outbreak, depriving Trump of the ability to do as many large rallies as he did in 2016, even if he were healthy. Biden, meanwhile, does not suffer from the high negative ratings that afflicted 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
The Trump campaign for the moment appears to be banking on a siege mentality. The president and his aides have ramped up efforts to portray themselves as victims of bias and political chicanery.
The commission overseeing the debates is “trying to protect Biden. Everybody is,” Trump said in a Thursday morning interview with Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business Network.
The president made the remarks soon after the commission had announced the idea of a virtual debate, only for Trump to say that he would not “waste my time” with such an event.
Trump is presumed to favor in-person debates because they make it easier to take the aggressive approach that is his trademark. Virtual debates make interruptions more difficult, and would also enable a moderator to mute Trump entirely.