Landslide? Day 2 of my RNC Diary

  • 17 July, 2024
  • Politics

The L-word

Republicans here in Milwaukee now believe the election is theirs to lose, as I noted yesterday. The bandaged Donald Trump’s reception on the convention floor was something to see. “’Ear ‘ear,” they shouted *. They were already optimistic that things were going their way after the debate on 27 June, and many now believe the country will rally behind the former president after the attempt on his life. Elon Musk’s endorsement was a further boost. Some here are going further and talking about a landslide. According to one experienced party figure I spoke to, Trump could be on course to win 30 or 40 states (four years ago, Joe Biden won 25).

Tom Emmer, Majority Whip in the House of Representatives, predicted at a reception on Monday night that not only will Trump win, the GOP will hold the House and flip the Senate with victories in Ohio, Montana, Pennsylvania and even liberal Maryland. He was optimistic that Trump would take his home state of Minnesota, which last voted Republican in a presidential election in 1972 and was famously the only state not to choose Ronald Reagan in 1984.

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