Inconsistent polling leaves the question open of just how much the criminal charges against Donald Trump are affecting his electability, but they’re cutting into his campaigning — although perhaps not in the most obvious way.
Four days a week, Trump has very little opportunity to campaign. He’s still snatching moments here and there — a bodega visit, an appearance at a construction site. Four days a week, though, his big rallies are off the table‚ or are they?
Realistically, there have been times when Trump hopped on his plane in the afternoon, had a rally or two in other states, and returned to Florida to sleep in his own bed. Some of his court days have ended as early as 2 pm, and at the latest they run until about 4:30 pm or so, leaving him sufficient time to hold a rally — if he has the desire and energy.
Then, of course, there are Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Trump could be wherever he likes those days. So, why is he giving up these free campaign days?
Republican strategist Susan Del Percio thinks she has an idea. She says that Trump is paying the victim, pointing fingers at the judicial system as the reason he’s not campaigning, when in reality (she believes) it’s because he can’t afford to hold rallies. She said:
“He could be campaigning more. He’s going to be going out to a couple of states mid-week. Why wasn’t he campaigning this weekend? He could have done that. He could campaign on Monday. But the fact is they don’t have enough campaign cash to actually hold those rallies.”
Trump’s campaign has built a reputation for holding rallies and not paying the costs. By the end of 2022, some cities were demanding payment for Trump’s 2020 rallies before allowing him to hold new ones, as the Des Moines Register documented. If venues are learning to make Trump pay in advance, it would be harder to put those costs off for some undetermined future.
We already know Trump’s campaign is cash-strapped, and he’s spending his donations on legal bills instead of campaigning. He’s even trying to force other candidates and PACs to pay him when they mention his name!
Even when Trump did try to hold a weekend rally last week in North Carolina, he ended up canceling due to weather (which didn’t save the campaign any money on fuel and travel costs, since he announced the cancelation shortly before he was scheduled to land).
He’s also lost an upcoming campaign event when the Miami Grand Prix forbade Trump and allies from politicizing their space.
What’s Trump doing with his time instead?
Well, this weekend at least, he seems to be spending his time griping on social media and hate-watching television. He’s complained, among other things, about Bill Maher’s talk show, and the White House Correspondents Dinner, shared clips from Fox News, and reposted an endless stream of posts from supporters.
Despite that, when his criminal trial resumes this week, expect a rant in front of the courthouse about how unfair it is that he’s “not allowed” to campaign.
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