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Trailing in Polls, Trump Reprises 'The Lone Warrior'

Patsy Widakuswara

   WHITE HOUSE - Amid plummeting poll numbers and mounting pressure over
   his handling of the pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests and reports
   of Russia offering bounties to Taliban fighters to kill American troops
   in Afghanistan, U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday tweeted"THE LONE
   WARRIOR!"

     THE LONE WARRIOR!
     -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) [1]June 30, 2020

   It's not the first time Trump has portrayed himself as alone, aggrieved
   and fighting against all odds, but it remains to be seen how well this
   narrative is able to gain traction this time around.

   With the election less than five months away, Trump is trailing
   Democratic rival Joe Biden nationally, in key battleground states and
   even in traditionally conservative strongholds like Missouri and Texas.

   Trump is 10 points behind Biden in a [2]national Pew Research poll.
   Fifty-four percent of registered voters say if the election were held
   today, they would support Biden or lean toward voting for him, while 44
   percent support Trump or lean toward supporting him.

   The president's supporters point out that Trump has been the underdog
   before. In June 2016, Trump lagged behind Hillary Clinton by as much as
   10 points in national polls but defeated her on Election Day.

   "Pollsters look at a few grains of sand instead of the entire beach.
   The only poll that matters is the one on November 3, 2020 -- the entire
   beach if you will," said Linda Trocine, chairwoman of the Republican
   Party in Seminole County, Florida to VOA.

   Rodney Anderson, chairman of the Republican Party in Dallas County,
   Texas, also dismissed polling numbers. "As Election Day gets closer,
   the formidable accomplishments of this administration will be brought
   to the forefront and will be contrasted with the very real challenge of
   Biden formulating any coherent message whatsoever," he said to VOA.

   Trump himself is projecting confidence on his reelection chance,
   signaling that he is counting the support of the "silent majority"
   despite Biden beating him in most polls.

   Now the question is, as an incumbent, will Trump's reprise of his role
   as an insurgent candidate work?

References

   1. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1277977452187275266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   2. https://www.people-press.org/2020/06/30/publics-mood-turns-grim-trump-trails-biden-on-most-personal-traits-major-issues/

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