Donald Trump is in easy mode and is still winning. As his rivals tirelessly traverse the country to campaign in battleground states, Trump has skipped the first Republican debate, announced he will skip the second, and mostly opted to stay at his private club in Bedminster, New Jersey, ranting on Truth Social and fighting criminal charges. According to an analysis by The Washington Post, Trump has organized far fewer campaign events than all his opponents this past summer, yet is comfortably leading in national and state polls. In fact, Trump’s team provided the Post with a list of 60 “campaign” events he had held since late May—but six were Saudi-backed LIV Golf gatherings in which he is tied to financially, while 11 were gatherings at Bedminster. Three more were solely to address criminal charges against him while he stood next to his plane, and five were just virtual meetings. About half were traditional campaign stops like speeches or meet-and-greets. Supporters of rival Ron DeSantis claim that Trump’s low effort in Iowa, which votes first in the 2024 presidential primary, is a potential weakness in his bid for the Repiblican nomination.
