Global pandemic and sweeping quarantine orders have not stopped dedicated volunteers from working on President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign remotely.
Trump Victory, a joint fundraising group comprised of the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC), says it reached out to 1.4 million voters over the phone, Saturday. This is part of a broader effort to substitute remote action for a traditional ground game given the present coronavirus situation.
Saturday’s volunteers were directed to emphasize Trump’s “unprecedented, comprehensive, and aggressive” response to the coronavirus, according to the RNC.
Minnesotan volunteers alone made over 100,000 remote voter contacts last week, according to an RNC press release.
“The RNC’s ability to digitize it’s entire field operation within 24 hours is a testament to the strength of its permanent ground game,” says spokesperson Preya Samsundar. “While we continue to outmatch the Democrats in resources and fundraising, our ability to organize our army of volunteers no matter the situation will propel us to victory.”
The RNC also reports a 42% increase in the number of hired political field staff since 2016, raising the number of Trump campaign operatives working on communities to ensure reelection to 1,500.
While the Trump campaign reports a record number of staff and volunteers, other candidates seem to be struggling to retain money, and therefore manpower, amidst the COVID-19 epidemic.
“On the fundraising side, we are going to take some massive hits as a party,” says Tim Lim, a Democratic campaign consultant who worked for both former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, according to PBS.
News outlets have also remarked on how former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign has appeared to suffer, as he is presently quarantined. The Guardian noted how Biden’s attempt at remote campaigning as been “eclipsed by Trump’s daily White House coronavirus briefings.” He has even characterized his own online events as “disjointed,” reports the Guardian.
Meanwhile, the president enjoys high support from both the public and state leaders for his administration’s response to the pandemic.
Kyle Hooten
Kyle Hooten is Managing Editor of Alpha News. His coverage of Minneapolis has been featured on television shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight and in print media outlets like the Wall Street Journal.
