Donald Trump’s team is on edge as he spends more time swinging clubs and taking verbal swings at Kamala Harris’s presidential bid rather than focusing on campaigning. Reports quoting insiders claim, ever since the Democrats swapped Biden for Harris in the upcoming election, Trump hasn’t been quite himself. And now, his aides are worried that his obsession with golf and constant complaints are draining the campaign’s momentum, making them fear the election could be slipping away.
After the DNC, where his hyperactivity on social media turned him into a public spectacle, his team had to work hard to convince him to get back on the road instead of spending his days on the golf course, “grumbling”, according to the Washington Post.
Trump is spending all day golfing
The DNC, which stretched over four long days, made a bigger splash online than the RNC—a reality Trump has found hard to swallow as he falls behind in the polls where he once led. Kamala’s acceptance speech at the DNC drew 26.2 million viewers, whereas 25.3 million people watched Trump speak, as per Nielsen.
Since then, multiple anonymous sources told The Washington Post that the Republican has preferred a more relaxed schedule during his time at his Bedminster estate, often spending it on the golf course.
Also read: Trump says ‘I’m ratings machine,’ blasts claims of embarrassing Fox cut-off: ‘They called me first’
However, former aides are concerned that having Trump sit at home, stewing over the Democratic convention and getting irked easily, could be counterproductive. The publication reports that it’s been a challenging period for the Trump team, which is having a tough time adjusting its narrative against Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. While we rarely see Vance and Trump together.
According to the Post’s Isaac Arnsdorf, Josh Dawsey and Marianne LeVine, “Trump also had grown annoyed with the news coverage that depicted him as not working as hard as his opponent, one person who talked to him said.”
Trump has several reasons to be concerned. When he first entered the race, he was preparing to take on an old incumbent, President Biden, who struggled to speak without losing his train of thought. Now, however, he faces a wave of change led by a young, vibrant competitor with little negative history.
He had once brushed off Harris as a mere afterthought, but it seems the political game has changed lanes. Harris is now surging ahead of her Republican rival, with national polls showing her in the lead at 49% as of August 25, while Trump trails by 3%, despite his early-August lead.
Harris is even taking the lead in battleground states, with independent reports showing Trump struggling to keep his grip in Michigan and slipping in Pennsylvania.
Also Read: US election fundraising race, Kamala outpaces Trump
Internet reacts
“Looks like he’s not even trying now,” someone took a swipe at the former president’s golfing obsession. “Yeah, there really is no reason to vote. People don’t like Trump. Kamala will definitely win,” another wrote. “Yep, it’s getting worse—the frequency of those moments when he seems to think he’s still the president and should be golfing.”
Internet says ‘Trump is whining all day,’ aides say, ‘he has lost the plot
On Thursday, Trump became fodder for internet mockery when Fox News hung up on him after he ranted about Kamala Harris for ten minutes straight. He then dubbed himself a “rating machine,” insisting that news channels call him, not the other way around. Now, the internet suggests he’s just grumbling about Harris all day instead of focusing on his campaign.
Also read: Trump’s golf club Jan 6 gala: Who will attend, tickets, guest speaker, what to know
“He’s got RFK and Elon working for him,” one commenter joked on X. “Trump can do less damage on the golf course than in the White House,” another quipped. “Maybe those same aides should stop telling him he’s winning by a large margin?” wondered one user, while another added, “Maybe he should just stop whining.
A former aide who worked in the White House under Trump stated that the former president has lost his way. According to Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump spokesperson, “From spending days off the campaign trail golfing to coming up with frankly weak nicknames like ‘Kamabala,’ it feels like he’s lost his mojo.”
