Tunde Chris Odediran
Donald Trump appears to be unraveling.
In his determined bid to reclaim the US presidency, Trump has waged a campaign singularly focused on defeating President Joe Biden, the man who ousted him from the White House.
Initially, Trump’s strategy seemed to be working.
As Biden’s approval ratings took a hit following a poor debate performance, Trump’s own popularity surged, leaving Democrats in a state of panic.
Trump’s fortunes seemed to have turned for the better.
Biden’s meltdown during the first presidential debate in May had seemingly handed Trump the presidency.
It was not through any brilliance on Trump’s part but rather sheer luck that he became the frontrunner.
Democrats, alarmed by what they saw as a looming disaster, grew desperate for a turnaround.
To many, Trump’s campaign posed a grave threat to American democracy.
Emboldened by his apparent lead, Trump began his victory lap, even going so far as to suggest that after his win, future elections might no longer be necessary.
He had previously hinted that he would become a dictator if re-elected.
Then came an assassination attempt by a lone gunman, which only served to garner more sympathy for Trump.
It seemed, at that moment, that the election was all but decided in Trump’s favour.
As the nation began to assume the race was over, pressure mounted on President Biden to step down.
Though Biden resisted, he eventually relented as the party’s power brokers prevailed.
With Biden out, the question became who would replace him.
Pundits anticipated a fierce battle, but Biden’s selection of Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor proved to be a masterstroke.
Democrats quickly rallied around her.
Trump’s brief advantage evaporated as Harris emerged as his opponent.
For four years, Trump had prepared to exploit Biden’s weaknesses.
His campaign revolved around one central theme: Biden was too old and too weak to lead.
But now, Trump faced a much younger opponent who wasn’t afraid to call him out as a convicted criminal.
For years, Trump’s rallies, characterised by their large crowds and theatrical flair, had been his trademark.
But when Vice President Harris announced her running mate, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, at a packed stadium in Philadelphia, she stole Trump’s bragging rights on crowd size.
As it became clear that Trump was no longer the king of crowds, he grew erratic.
Polls began to show a tight, competitive race.
In response, Trump reverted to his usual tactics, spewing conspiracy theories and launching personal attacks. “I’m very angry at her,” Trump admitted at a New Jersey press conference. “I think I’m entitled to personal attacks.”
Instead of focusing on policy issues or Harris’s record, Trump has chosen to peddle insults, fear, and falsehoods.
At a meeting with Black journalists, an opportunity to attract potential voters, he questioned Harris’s racial identity. “Is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump asked, falsely suggesting that she had only recently “turned Black.”
Harris, born to a Jamaican father, attended a historically Black university and was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus as a U.S. senator.
Less than a week later, at another press conference, Trump’s attacks grew even more unhinged.
He questioned Harris’s intelligence and claimed that Biden’s decision to leave the race was unconstitutional.
Trump seemed desperate to have Biden back as his opponent, whom he considered his punching bag.
George Conway, a conservative attorney and outspoken critic of Trump, stated that the former president was mentally unfit for office.
“He was never right in the head,” Conway said. “And as he’s gotten older, he’s only gotten worse. Especially now that he’s the only old guy in the race, it’s more important than ever for the public to focus on Trump’s lack of mental fitness when they make their decision this November.”
Conway’s remarks seem to have hit a nerve, as Trump’s behaviour on social media has become increasingly erratic.
Fact-checkers are struggling to keep up with his constant vacillation between reality and fantasy.
Trump is aware that the election is slipping away.
Polls indicate that he’s losing support, while Harris has chosen a running mate, Tim Walz, who appeals to the same voters that Trump targets in the swing states.
Walz, a veteran, teacher, coach, and gun owner, checks the boxes that matter to conservatives.
In contrast, Trump’s pick of J.D. Vance, also a veteran from a swing state, as a running mate has become a liability due to past controversial statements.
Vance’s comment that America doesn’t need “childless women,” whom he derogatorily referred to as “childless cat ladies,” continues to disgust many Americans.
Harris, though childless, is a stepmother to two children who affectionately call her “Mamala.”
Meanwhile, Harris and Walz’s rallies draw thousands, stealing the spotlight from Trump, who once saw crowd sizes as a vital political sign.
In response, Trump bizarrely claimed that Harris’s large crowds were generated by artificial intelligence.
Many Republicans, frustrated by Trump’s cult-like grip on their party, are beginning to stand up.
A new group called “Republicans for Harris” has emerged, and at a rally in Arizona, one of the “Never Trumpers,” Mesa Mayor John Giles, campaigned with Harris.
In a dramatic reversal, the polls have swung in Harris’s favour.
While she hasn’t yet captured Trump’s staunch 40% base, she’s consolidating the Democratic base, attracting immigrants, disillusioned youth, and many independents.
Trump is clearly rattled.
He’s become incoherent, struggling to articulate a message that resonates with the changing campaign landscape, with just 80 days left before the election.
Many believe that Trump’s real motive for running is to avoid prison.
He’s already been convicted in both a criminal and civil case in New York and faces at least four more legal battles.
There’s a growing belief that he’s desperate because, if he loses the election, he won’t be able to avoid incarceration.
Political analysts suggest that Trump’s strategy is to create chaos and engineer an inconclusive election that drags on, hoping that Republican-controlled states will refuse to certify their results.
Despite his campaign team’s efforts to keep Trump focused on issues where he could score points, such as inflation, the economy, and immigration, Trump remains undisciplined, untamable, and angry.
At the press conference intended to highlight rising consumer prices,
Trump quickly went off-script, declaring his right to insult Vice President Harris.
He wasted valuable press coverage by rambling on irrelevant topics, leaving fact-checkers struggling to validate his claims.
“I don’t have a lot of respect for her, I don’t have a lot of respect for her intelligence, and I think she’ll be a terrible president,” Trump ranted.
Republicans who had hoped Trump would focus on the economy are now worried that he lacks the discipline to consolidate and expand his base.
Trump is no longer behaving like a candidate but rather like someone on a mission to settle scores with those he despises.
For Trump, it seems the worst is yet to come.
