Trump should worry about going stale

Published June 21, 2019 6:28pm ET



If President Trump wants to win over undecided or reluctant voters this cycle, he’ll have to adjust the 2020 tune he’s already playing. During his massive campaign kickoff rally in Orlando on Tuesday, his focus was decidedly stale. With mentions of his former opponent, Hillary Clinton, but barely any talk of the Democratic hopefuls (other than “Sleepy Joe”) vying for his job, the president appears to be looking back instead of ahead.

There is no doubt that Trump’s brand of braggadocio was wildly popular during the last presidential campaign cycle. His inexhaustible personality and biting rhetoric spoke to voters in Middle America who either felt forgotten or targeted by left-leaning elites. Those who loved his individual style then do so now, too. But since defeating Hillary Clinton in November 2016, the president has stood on his own, free from comparisons to peers actively seeking the presidency who say they would make better choices if they were to lead the nation. Now, with almost two-dozen challengers across the aisle, the atmosphere has changed.

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