Now, nearly 50 days away from the 2024 presidential election, there are signs that Trump’s presidential campaign is faltering and even at war… with itself.
Several sources familiar with the campaign structure are now questioning whether the two people running the 2024 operation — campaign co-managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita — should keep their jobs.
Discouragement about the direction of the campaign has apparently been growing for some time.
But according to sources who spoke exclusively to Dailymail.com, Trump’s “disastrous” performance at Tuesday’s ABC News debate against Vice President Kamala Harris and the decision to allow an infamous 9/11 conspiracy theorist to accompany the former president to 9/11 memorial events were the final straw.
In fact, Trump found himself in a difficult situation on Friday, while holding a press conference at his own Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles.
The decision to allow an infamous 9/11 conspiracy theorist (Laura Loomer, left) to accompany the former president to 9/11 memorial events was one of the last straws.
Several sources familiar with the structure of the campaign are questioning whether the two people running the operation, co-directors Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, should retain their jobs.
The former president was asked why Laura Loomer, who once claimed the 9/11 attacks were “an inside job,” was at his side on Wednesday.
“Laura is a party-goer… she has very strong opinions… she’s a free spirit,” Trump told reporters.
“I can’t tell Laura what to do,” he replied when asked why she flew on his campaign plane on Sept. 11 and remained there while he addressed firefighters at the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Company in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where terrorists crashed a plane killing 40 people on board.
“I don’t know what he said,” Trump said. “I’ll take a look and put out a statement.”
According to the Mail’s sources, this explanation does not absolve the Trump campaign of blame.
Campaign co-chair Susie Wiles “had 100 per cent control of the preparations for the (ABC News) debate and the Trump plane manifesto,” the Mail was told. “She has ironclad control over this campaign and has final say on all decisions… They’re going to swallow this load of crap.”
When contacted by the Mail, the Trump campaign would not comment on why Loomer was allowed to fly with the president, but a campaign source distanced herself from her.
“She’s not a member of the campaign. She’s not part of the campaign. She was on this trip, but she’s in no way part of the campaign in an official capacity,” the campaign source told the Mail.
Meanwhile, outrage among prominent Trump allies over Loomer’s relationship with Trump is now exploding into the public eye.
A range of Republicans, from Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene to Sen. Lindsey Graham, have denounced Loomer, with Taylor-Greene calling her past comments “appalling and extremely racist.”
Sources told the Mail that Loomer should never have been allowed to be seen with the former president, especially on 9/11.
“It was an insult that they allowed a 9/11 denier to travel on that plane on 9/11,” the Mail’s source said.
This person with inside knowledge of the campaign’s workings blamed Wiles.
“Wiles controls who gets on Trump’s plane,” the Mail was told.
Last year, Trump reportedly asked his team to add Loomer to the campaign payroll and Wiles refused on his orders. She was keeping “the crazies” out, a person involved in the 2024 campaign told NBC News in April 2023.
In fact, Trump found himself hot on his heels on Friday, as he held a news conference at his own Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles.
“Laura is a party-goer… she has very strong opinions… she’s a free spirit,” Trump told reporters in Los Angeles.
But, according to sources, “with almost 50 days left in the season, Wiles was not going to upset the established order by not allowing Laura Loomer to join the team.”
What’s more, the Mail’s sources say Wiles – who is a registered lobbyist with a leading bipartisan public affairs firm, Mercury – may have motivations beyond winning the election in November.
Mercury is a lobbying firm whose clients include Chinese tech firm Alibaba and major U.S. oil companies. It is common for campaign managers to have experience in the public affairs industry.
“Wiles just wants to hold out until the end (of the election) because he has the potential to land some lucrative contracts,” the sources say. “This is good for his corporate business, whether Trump wins or loses.”
Asked for comment on these specific allegations, the Trump campaign did not respond to the Mail’s request.
Additionally, according to sources, Wiles and his co-manager Chris LaCivita have also ignored Trump’s orders.
“Trump asks them to do things, then goes on stage at the rally and does nothing. Wiles and Chris LaCivitia just do whatever they want,” the sources said.
Meanwhile, the turmoil over the President’s performance in Tuesday’s debate has not abated.
Publicly, President Trump and his campaign aides insist that his performance, which has been criticized by numerous observers and even prominent allies like Senator Graham, was a solid showing.
However, sources familiar with the debate preparations have a much darker view of how voters view him.
And – once again – they blame Wiles.
“Wiles controlled who was in the room preparing Trump. It was the same people as always,” the sources said. “We were not involved. We had no idea what was going to happen.”
Two Trump campaign sources dismissed the allegations.
“The Trump campaign is convinced that President Trump won the debate,” they told the Mail. “The same people who worked with President Trump on the first debate[against President Joe Biden]were the same people who worked on the second debate.”
“Susie and Chris report to the higher-ups in the organization. This is a team effort. Trying to blame Susie or Chris for this is absurd.”
The DailyMail.com snap poll conducted immediately after the debate showed that 49 percent of debate viewers thought Harris had won and 45 percent said Trump had won the night.
On Wednesday, the first full poll released after Tuesday’s showdown showed Harris leading by five percentage points, slightly up from the three-point advantage she held earlier in this poll.
Campaign co-manager Susie Wiles “had 100 per cent control of the preparations for the (ABC News) debate and the Trump plane manifest,” the Mail was told.
Trump campaign sources told the Mail that the president’s team is still on track to win in November and insisted that detractors have a destructive agenda.
“For someone to attack the most successful campaign operation ever created to support President Trump … it really raises the question of who they want to see win in the fall,” the source said. “We know when someone is trying to stir up trouble.”
In front of the cameras, President Trump has been staunch in his team’s support, telling reporters in August: “Susie is fantastic, as you know. And Chris is fantastic.”
But if Trump decides to change his campaign leadership towards the end of the race, it would not be the first time.
In June 2016, Trump parted ways with campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. On July 15, 2020, Trump fired campaign manager Brad Parscale.
But with seven weeks to go before Americans go to the polls, Trump has shown no willingness to make a change.
(tags to translate)dailymail
