Even though it wasn’t surprising that President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 election, it’s not great news for conservatives. Biden was seen as an easy opponent, but his replacement might be a tougher challenge for former president Donald Trump.
Since Biden’s bad debate in June, Trump’s team has prepared for this change. Their primary focus is on Vice President Kamala Harris, who is likely to replace Biden. The Trump campaign has been working on polls and making ads to attack Harris.
The ads will highlight Harris’s actions during Biden’s presidency and her past work in California. They’ll also try to show her weaknesses and claim she was involved in covering up Biden’s problems.
Trump’s team thinks that if Democrats skip over Harris, it could cause more problems within the party and upset their Black voters. They believe that because Biden tried to check all the right boxes in 2020, the party might end up with another unpopular choice.
Trump’s supporters are looking into the records of Democratic governors who might be chosen as Harris’s running mate, and Harris has until August 7 to make her choice.
Team Trump is paying extra attention to Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, a critical state that Trump’s team needs to win.
However, Democrats may have other thoughts about Harris’s VP pick. These potential choices primarily include governors who supported the Biden-Harris campaign and are popular in their states.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom defended Biden after Biden’s disastrous debate performance. Still, he might not be a top pick because California is a safe Democratic state.
Other governors, like Jared Polis of Colorado and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, also come from solid Democratic states, which is a disadvantage.
Kentucky’s Gov. Andy Beshear, who has won twice in a Republican state, is another potential pick, though winning Kentucky might be challenging for Democrats.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is a possible choice for running mate. He could help Democrats win North Carolina.
Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia could attract Black voters in a critical swing state where he has previously won close races.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg have received national recognition for their 2020 presidential campaigns. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is another possible choice.
According to a CNN/SSRS poll, Harris, Newsom, Pritzker, Whitmer, and Buttigieg all poll lower than Trump in possible matchups. However, they all do better than Biden, who is behind Trump by six points. Among them, Harris does the best, trailing Trump by just two points. But her potential running mates have yet to be tested as VP picks.
Trump’s team wanted Biden to stay in the race because they thought Biden’s low approval ratings and concerns about his age and mental fitness gave Trump the best chance to win.
Biden was unintentionally Trump’s biggest ace-in-the-hole. Now, the focus will shift to Harris.
It’s a moment Team Trump has been preparing for since the presidential debate.
