Trump is playing offense in big blue states: Michael Whatley
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley discusses whether Trump can win New York or California on 'The Story.'
For the last three decades, I have been imploring Republican presidential candidates to take their message directly to America’s inner cities. Directly to the epicenters of "blueness."
As someone who grew up in abject poverty in some of those inner cities, I knew that most of those residents strongly believe in the rule of law, are faith-based and do support the police. But, for the last number of decades, they have also felt disrespected and abandoned by the GOP and Republican presidential candidates.
Former President Trump not only just flipped the script on that perceived disrespect with his rally last month in the deep blue Bronx – which brought out approximately 25,000 people – but demonstrated that there are potentially hundreds of thousands of untapped New York City voters who do believe in the rule of law, who do support the police, and who will come out in large numbers if they are recognized and respected.
Trump supporters wait a line to attend outside Crotona Park in Bronx on May 23, 2024. (Jeenah Moon for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Not only was the rally historic, but the anti-conventional-wisdom Trump also exposed a hidden and often censored truth. The Democrats don’t have a lock on the votes in our inner cities or within the minority community.
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All of which raises a critically important question: How many untapped votes are there in the deep blue cities of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and elsewhere? Millions to be sure.
In so many ways, minority and inner-city residents are the brightest and most aware of all voters. Because failing political policies often batter them every single day of their lives. They understand the harsh realities of life better than most. As such, they are open to solutions that might deliver them from such misery. More than that, they are desperate for such solutions.
That said, it’s unfair to ask for their vote if you are not willing to present yourself to them and offer up your solutions to their many problems. Openness, respect and trust must be a two-way street.
To paraphrase the movie "Field of Dreams," if you offer up that in-person attendance and respect, "they will come." And potentially in historic numbers for a Republican candidate.
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That exact same formula also applies to the "deep blue" high-tech community. Over the last two decades, I have interacted with dozens of high-tech entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley and other perceived blue bastions of liberalism and wokeism.
And within these strongholds of far-left elitism and loyalty to failed Democratic policies are thousands of high-tech employees – and, indeed, CEOs – who recognize that the failed policies of the far-left are destroying society about them and putting their very lives in danger. These men and women will rally around commonsense, pragmatic solutions that reinforce the rule of law.
What Trump clearly understands is that presidential elections are ultimately won by shaving off one-half of 1% in a district; one-quarter of 1% in a county, and one-eighth of 1% in a state. As we saw in 2020, less than 60,000 votes can flip a presidential election.
It can certainly be argued that Trump has the most impressive road show in America. A road show that brings out huge crowds while creating massive word of mouth and new voters. A road show that will play in blue states, blue cities and blue "high-tech," as proved in New Jersey, the Bronx, and of late, California.
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Last week, billionaire entrepreneur David Sacks co-hosted a fundraiser for Trump in his San Francisco home with Democrat mega-donor and former Facebook executive Chamath Palihapitiya. The goal was to raise $5 million. The sold-out event brought in $12 million. Why?
As Sacks pointed out to Laura Ingraham in part last week:
"I know there's a lot of people out there who are already Trump supporters, and they're just afraid to stick their necks out. I mean, that's the reality of the situation because they're afraid of getting ostracized or afraid of cancel culture. They're afraid of punishment, and they're afraid because the Biden administration likes political prosecutions and political investigations… With each incremental person who sticks their neck out and endorses Trump, it makes the rest of them feel more comfortable doing it, and you're seeing, I think, a cascade starting to happen now, where more and more people are going to come out for Trump."
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True. But a "cascade" can only flow if the wall is penetrated or even toppled.
Since 2015, Trump has proved himself to be the "counterintuitive candidate." He marches to the beat of his own drum and his instincts often prove unerringly correct.
Be it our inner cities, our bluest of states or high-tech America, Trump knows he has an almost completely blank canvas to paint upon. He must take advantage of it.
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He must take his road show to those cities, to those states, and to those entrepreneurs; show respect to those ignored by the GOP for decades; and offer up his commonsense, pragmatic solutions.
If Trump "builds it," they will come, they will listen, they will donate, and they will… vote.
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