Trump’s Campaign Shifts Strategy, Targets Non-Political Audiences

Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd at a campaign event on July 1, 2023 in Pickens, South Carolina. The former president faces a growing list of Republican primary challengers. PHOTO BY SEAN RAYFORD/GETTY IMAGES

Former President Donald Trump has a long history of fighting, whether battling his opponents during the past two presidential races (and one going on right now), combatting the press on social media, threatening fire and fury against other nations or clashing with the laws of the U.S.

The former president appears to embrace conflict, in particular after multiple disputes with Fox News over the past year when Trump lambasted the network on social media over what he perceives as their preference for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The 45th president’s campaign is now changing its tactics, looking to gain votes from less politically active Americans, according to POLITICO.

Specifically, Trump’s campaign is seeking an interview with Mike Tyson and has been in behind-the-scenes talks about him also doing an interview on Dave Portnoy’s “Barstool Sports,” according to the publication.

“Doing non-traditional media and showing up to major cultural events like UFC fights allows former President Trump to hit a completely different audience than doing an interview on Fox News or other political media,” Republican strategist Andy Surabian told the outlet.

Trump’s Strategy: “He’s putting himself in front of people who are far less politically engaged and don’t necessarily have a baked in view of him,” Surabian said.

The strategy isn’t new. In the spring, Trump recorded a podcast hosted by the “Nelk Boys,” and in April, the former president attended UFC 287, a mixed martial arts event where he sat beside Dana White just days after he was arraigned on 34 felony charges related to the payment of hush money to adult movie star Stormy Daniels.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 08: A vendor gestures toward a Trump photo displayed at a stand selling Trump memorabilia after former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivered remarks at a Nevada Republican volunteer recruiting event at Fervent: A Calvary Chapel on July 8, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Trump is the current frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination amid a growing field of candidates. PHOTO BY MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES 

Being the only presidential candidate running in 2024 who is a former pop culture personality, Trump’s campaign strategy could help him gain further in the Republican polls, which have already been heavily tilted toward the former president.

“President Trump’s star power and unmatched energy make him a force of nature that resonates with people from all backgrounds,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, who is a former UFC official, said, according to the publication.

 

 

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