NOT BUYING IT

Republican Pollster Trashes Trump’s ‘Stupid’ Move

His rambling speech went down like a lead balloon.

President Donald Trump’s election fraud-focused primetime address on Thursday night is being panned by some Republicans as a political misfire.

Trump, 80, used the speech to repeat claims that the 2020 election was stolen, voting machines were compromised by foreign actors, and China obtained 220 million U.S. voter files.

But a Republican pollster told Axios the message is failing to fire up the GOP base or move voters toward the upcoming midterm elections.

“It’s a stupid, stupid move,” the pollster who has tested the effectiveness of the “stolen election” narrative said, adding that even swing voters who believe “something wasn’t good about the election” respond to Trump’s message with an “eyeroll.”

According to the outlet, some Trump administration officials believe the president’s focus on voter fraud could help boost Republican turnout in November as he faces slipping approval ratings and waning enthusiasm among parts of his own base.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE!

Trump, 80, Tries to Hide Chronic Health Issue During Speech

Leigh Kimmins

The strategy comes as Trump grapples with voter frustration over his deeply unpopular war in Iran, which has pushed gas prices above $5 a gallon and intensified concerns over the cost-of-living crisis.

Play Video

However, some White House officials reportedly thought Trump’s Thursday night claims went too far. One official told Politico there had been fears “there was going to be a lot of crazier s--t said” in the speech, before senior aides urged the president that “the way to be taken seriously is not to be crazy.”

Former Bill Clinton communications adviser Jim Kennedy told The Times that Trump squandered a chance to address voters’ biggest concerns, including the war in Iran and the affordability crisis, by focusing on a message that is “not top of mind” for Americans.

MYTHBUSTED

Trump Humiliated by Instant Fact Check After Crackpot Speech

Catherine Bouris

“The fraud that’s going on is we’re not holding ourselves to the promises that we made,” Republican Rep. Thomas Massie told MS NOW, arguing that Republicans are “wasting an opportunity” with voters by focusing on election fraud claims instead of delivering on the issues that helped them win.

Trump’s speech not only centered on election fraud claims but was also filled with allegations that have not been substantiated, as no publicly available evidence has shown that foreign interference changed the outcome of any U.S. election.

TIN FOIL TIRADE

Trump Rages at Network TV Snub in Unhinged Election Speech

David Gardner

Republican election lawyer Ben Ginsberg told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that despite Trump’s claims and references to declassified documents posted online, there was still no evidence of “any election being incorrect.”

Play Video

The president is expected to continue trying to mobilize voters in an effort to preserve the GOP’s narrow congressional majority and is set to headline the party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas this September.

Some Republican candidates have questioned whether appearing alongside Trump will help their campaigns, fearing that a close association with the president could alienate undecided voters.

Former Republican Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake told Politico that the September gathering is “going to be the Trump show,” predicting the president will likely focus on “2020 and election conspiracies” — topics he said “don’t play well in Arizona.”

The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Wiktoria GuciaReporter

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.