When Donald Trump Misses the Spotlight

From the Center

Kamala Harris is vulnerable to criticism on crime and immigration policy. She has the considerable challenge of defending the Biden Administration record on economic and energy issues.

But Harris is undoubtedly a Black woman, which makes Donald Trump’s decision to attack her on this topic last week a curious one. In a contentious appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists, Trump argued that the vice president had only begun highlighting this aspect of her heritage in recent years, implying that identifying as Black was something she was doing for political benefit.

The now-familiar script that has unfolded over the last nine years whenever Trump makes an outlandish statement followed. Trump says something outrageous, his opponents respond in anger and indignation, his allies attempt to minimize the statement or ignore it altogether, and the news media wonders if his campaign can survive. This is a scene that has played out hundreds of times since Trump announced his first campaign for president in 2015, and there’s little reason to think that this most recent episode will end much differently.

But Trump’s unusual denunciation of Harris on ethnic grounds is taking place in a dramatically-altered political landscape than that which had existed two weeks earlier. Harris’ ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket appears to have discombobulated Trump and his team, who have floundered in their early efforts to identify a message with which they could assault their new opponent. When Trump raised questions about the validity of Harris’ racial identity, his goal may have been to drive a wedge between her and a roomful of minority journalists. But his unsuccessful effort reflected an uncertainty on how to campaign against a candidate much different than those against whom he had run in his previous campaigns.

Trump senior advisors had already made it clear that they believed that their best bet was an ideological contrast, in which they belittled Harris’ liberal record on a range of policy matters. House Speaker Mike Johnson warned his colleagues to steer clear of overt references to the vice president's race and gender. But Trump’s instincts have always led him toward personal and visceral confrontation, and the potential sensitivities and possible backlash of questioning Harris’ demographic makeup did not dissuade him.

Trump’s impulse toward direct combat may have been motivated for other reasons too. For the better part of a month, the former president had uncharacteristically ceded the spotlight to his opponents. After the disastrous debate that ultimately ended Biden’s candidacy, Trump’s campaign made the strategic decision to keep their heads down while the Democrats were going through their public anguish over Biden’s fate. But that low profile, while difficult for Trump, was intentional and maybe slightly easier for him to handle. The excitement that has surrounded Harris’ campaign has completely overshadowed Trump, who was clearly chafing at the lack of attention he had been receiving.

Long before he became a presidential candidate, Trump had always subscribed to the theory that receiving unfavorable media coverage was better than none at all. Once he entered politics, Trump discovered that this strategy was even more advantageous, as it blocked out his opponents and created a rallying point for his supporters. But Harris’ star turn meant that he was the one getting ignored, and while criticizing her on policy grounds might attract some media attention, a more frontal and personal attack would be necessary to allow him to fully reclaim his accustomed place at center stage.

It worked. Within hours of his appearance, Trump was in the middle of a brand-new controversy, with all the players taking on their accustomed roles. It’s difficult to see how this will directly benefit his campaign: the back-and-forth could risk some of the increased support he has developed among Black and Latino voters, and the increasing numbers of multi-ethnic Americans are unlikely to respond well either. But this take-no-prisoners strategy has worked to Trump’s benefit in the past, and it certainly returns him to his comfort zone. (We’re already seeing him trying to duplicate this effort by picking a fight over debates this past weekend.)

Trump will be facing similar fights for attention over the next couple of weeks, first with Harris’ announcement of a running mate and then the Democratic National Convention. The level of his desperation to regain the spotlight may tell us how he feels about his prospects on the new and unfamiliar playing field on which he now finds himself.

Want to talk about this topic more? Join Dan for his webinar, “The Dan Schnur Political Report." And read more of Dan’s writing at www.danschnurpolitics.com.

Dan Schnur is a Professor at the University of California – Berkeley, Pepperdine University, and the University of Southern California, where he teaches courses in politics, communications and leadership. Dan is a No Party Preference voter, but previously worked on four presidential and three gubernatorial campaigns, serving as the national Director of Communications for the 2000 presidential campaign of U.S. Senator John McCain and the chief media spokesman for California Governor Pete Wilson. He has a Center bias.

This piece was reviewed and edited by Clare Ashcraft, Bridging & Bias Specialist (Center bias).