Donald Trump has long touted his ability to entertain massive crowds, boasting about his loyal supporters who hang on his every word. However, an anti-Trump group is now aiming to undermine that appeal. Republican Voters Against Trump has launched a multi-million-dollar ad campaign featuring former Trump supporters who have since turned away from the former president.
While some cite the January 6 insurrection or his treatment of women as reasons for their disillusionment, there’s one sentiment shared by many: they’re simply bored with him. Sarah Longwell, the director of Republican Voters Against Trump and a veteran GOP pollster, explained the strategy behind the campaign in an interview with MSNBC. The ads will target key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nebraska.
“You’ve got to build a permission structure for Republican, soft GOP voters, right-leaning independents, people who maybe even voted for Donald Trump,” Longwell said. “Everybody in our campaign has voted for Donald Trump at least once. But they’re out on him.”
Longwell emphasized that in focus groups she’s conducted, many former Trump supporters are now considering other options, including Vice President Kamala Harris. She noted that some voters who backed Trump in 2016 but previously supported Barack Obama are beginning to pay closer attention to the race and are open to voting for Harris.
“Just because I voted for Trump or just because I identify as a Republican, I’m interested in voting for Kamala Harris,” some voters told Longwell. “Donald Trump either presents such a threat or, actually, what we hear from a lot of these voters more than anything else is people are bored by Trump.”
According to Longwell, the recurring theme among these voters is fatigue with Trump’s “drama.” They’re tired of the constant insults, the falsehoods about the 2020 election, and the endless controversies. Instead, they’re looking for a candidate who will focus on what can be done for them.
Longwell added that Harris is capturing their attention partly because she’s new and relatively unknown, offering a fresh alternative to Trump’s well-worn rhetoric. This sense of intrigue, combined with dissatisfaction with Trump, is what the ad campaign hopes to leverage in these critical states.