Donald Trump’s latest New York stunt shows just how far gone he is
Because Donald Trump accidentally won in 2016 after James Comey wrote a last minute letter that upended the election, there has been a widespread perception over the past few years that Trump actually knows what he’s doing when it comes to elections. The thing is, Trump’s actions keep making clear that this is simply not the case.
For instance, Trump is currently losing by various margins in every swing state, and he’s running neck and neck in some traditionally red states. This leaves him with the tricky task of trying to figure out where to focus his resources. For instance, if he spends too much time and money on TV ads and in-person appearances in one key state, he risks not having enough time and resources for another key state.
In that vein, Donald Trump has decided that one of his keys to winning in 2020 is to mount a fierce battle in the state of New York. This is a state he lost by twenty-two points in 2016, and he has literally zero chance of winning in 2020. Trump could spend every single day between now and the election campaigning in New York, and he still wouldn’t come close to winning it. But he’s decided to waste resources in the state anyway.
There may be an instinct on the part of some observers to conclude that because Donald Trump has decided to campaign heavily in New York, he must have some super secret plan for magically winning or rigging the state. But come on, nothing works that way. You can’t campaign or even cheat your way to victory in a state that you’re on track to lose by twenty-two points, no matter how hard you try.
Instead, it’s fairly easy to parse what’s going on here. Donald Trump is angry at New York state because it’s in the process of criminally indicting him, and he wants revenge. Winning New York would be the ultimate way to stick it to his former home state. But it’s completely delusional for him to think he can compete in New York, to the point that it’s evidence of his worsening mental incompetence. Trump is running his 2020 campaign like an angry drunk toddler – and there’s no one around him who’s willing or able to steer him in a less self destructive direction.
