Donald Trump’s campaign is facing significant challenges this week, with his attacks on Kamala Harris seemingly failing to resonate, according to a Democratic strategist who spoke with Anderson Cooper on Wednesday.
“It’s very clear the former president is unraveling. He’s having a complete meltdown,” said Ashley Etienne, a former Joe Biden staffer and political advisor, during a segment on Cooper’s CNN show. Etienne didn’t hold back in her assessment, adding, “Kamala Harris has got him in a chokehold that is really driving him to the point of insanity, and really driving his campaign to the point of paralysis.”
Etienne highlighted the fact that Trump’s momentum in the polls appears to have stalled, while Harris’s popularity continues to grow. She likened Trump’s campaign to a business that’s struggling to attract new customers. “Trump can’t help himself but to be Donald Trump, and the more people see of him, the more they are turned off by him,” Etienne remarked. “There are too many people that don’t like Donald Trump, and he has no path to growth.”
One of the key frustrations for Trump, according to Etienne, is that “all of his attacks against Kamala Harris are being undermined by the facts.” She pointed to recent strong economic reports and a decrease in border crossings as evidence that Harris and the Biden administration are making progress, despite Trump’s criticisms.
“You underestimate Kamala Harris at your own peril, and Donald Trump is finding that out now,” Etienne concluded, underscoring the resilience and rising profile of the Vice President in the face of Trump’s ongoing attacks.
As the 2024 campaign unfolds, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Trump’s strategy of targeting Harris may not be yielding the results his team had hoped for. Instead, as Etienne suggests, it could be contributing to a broader sense of frustration and instability within his campaign.