“I think that’s what happens when you let a bunch of scammers take control,” a Trumpworld source said of Musk’s operation, requesting anonymity to speak candidly about internal discussions about the lack of a voter turnout strategy. by the campaign. “Shit is always going to produce shit.”
Musk’s PAC has continued to do most of the heavy lifting, running the outsourced running game for Trump like Never Back Down did for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was criticized for it by Trump’s team. Musk has offered voters the chance to win $1 million by signing a petition-turned-sweepstakes supporting the First and Second Amendment, and his knockers are paid $30 an hour “with performance bonuses.” But there are serious doubts within Trump’s orbit about how effective the latest effort will be.
“What happens is you take a ton of money from the top and then you hire the dumbest people and pay them a little bit of money,” the Trumpworld strategist said. “There is no way to know if it is effective or not. It is difficult to monitor the result and, therefore, its effectiveness.”
Victoria LaCivita, Trump’s Michigan communications director and daughter of Chris LaCivita, Trump’s co-campaign manager, described the campaign’s voter turnout operation as part of “the most sophisticated and modern campaign ever.” Our team is only expanding—we add new staff, offices and volunteers weekly—with more enthusiasm, energy and support from people and states that Democrats took for granted.”
A Trump campaign spokesperson also told WIRED that they have “dozens of campaign offices across the state, including (the Upper Peninsula), Detroit, Macomb, Oakland, Lansing, Livingston, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Burton,” along with 100 paid employees. in Michigan, in addition to 6,000 “Captains Trump” and “countless volunteers in every corner of Michigan.”
A spokesperson for Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers’ campaign said they have 36 employees with “several” field offices, with the goal of reaching “over 70,000” doors per week.
Democrats have also claimed a robust voter turnout operation with 52 field offices and at least 375 employees. But Michigan Democrats who take to the streets every weekend have been wondering when Trump’s cavalry is supposed to arrive.
“It has been fascinating. Has it been strange? It’s been strange,” Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Harris campaign surrogate who has been sent to speak to younger voters in battleground states, tells WIRED.