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Trump's 2018 rallies hint at 2020 plan
The events signal a reelection strategy aimed at running up the president’s rural votes to guard against losses in Democratic hubs.
By CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO and GABBY ORR 10/31/2018 04:59 PM EDT
President Donald Trump’s choice of 2018 campaign stops offers a partial road map to his 2020 reelection push.
Trump has hit key swing states he won in 2016, such as Florida and Wisconsin, while signaling the states that he hopes to flip in 2020, such as Nevada and Minnesota. Even in Pennsylvania, Ohio and North Carolina, where Trump can credibly claim to be campaigning for House candidates, he is also seizing on the ancillary benefits of stumping in states that will be vital to his reelection.
His final push will bring him to at least 28 counties — all but 10 of which he won during the 2016 contest. The focus on deep-red regions of the map points to a reelection strategy aimed at running up the president’s rural votes to guard against losses in Democratic population-rich centers and places where his 2016 popularity may further diminish.
“Their focus is what they can do to help as many Republicans up and down the ballot as they can,” said Mark Harris, a Republican strategist from Pittsburgh. “There is certainly a benefit for him to be in these states — but it’s not the main purpose of this.”
more
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/31/trump-2018-elections-campaigning-2020-strategy-952149
