In what is perhaps the most shocking campaign move so far, former President Donald Trump, a fierce critic of early in-person and mail-in voting in the 2020 elections, is now clamoring for the use of these voting techniques.
He made this call in a message he sent to his voters on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. But what could be the reason for this shift?
Why is this Move so Shocking?
Even before the 2020 presidential elections, Donald Trump had begun to question the integrity of early voting and mail-in ballots. Fast-forward to the middle of voting, and he had intensified his opposition to these voting styles, even blaming them for what he believed was widespread voter fraud.
It’s been over three years, and the President hasn’t changed his stance. Maybe until now.
Trump Had Told Voters to Only Show Up On Election Day
In the past few years, Trump had repeatedly called for voters to only show up on election day. Even during his formal announcement of his 2024 Oval Office bid in his Florida residence, he re-enforced his idea of “Only paper ballots.”
“We want all votes counted by election night” were the exact words he used. In the same vein, he used the opportunity to restate his commitment to reshaping voting in the country.
Trump’s New Message
The Trump campaign launched a new program on Tuesday called “Swamp The Vote.” But even his supporters would have been amazed to hear that the initiative’s objective is to encourage absentee, mail-in, and early voting.
The program is a child of “Trump Force 47,” a larger effort by the Republican National Committee to attract voters in highly contested states.
Trump Expects a “Massive” Voter Turnout
In a recent message, Trump expressed hopes of a huge turnout of voters on election day. “Many Republicans like to vote on Election Day, and we must swamp the radical Democrats with massive turnout on Tuesday, November 5,” he urged.
The former President is seeking to take advantage of his impressive showing in the polls, which have placed him ahead of President Biden.
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Trump’s New-Found Interest in Early Voting
Evidence of the former President’s change of mind was pretty glaring in his speech on Tuesday. “Whether you vote absentee, by mail, early in-person, or on election day, we are going to protect the vote.”
This came just after he stated that “Republicans must win, and we will use every appropriate tool to beat the Democrats because they are destroying our country.”
Pressure From Republican Stakeholders
One can guess that Trump could be changing his mind on the topic due to pressure. Republican officials, some of who favor the voting styles, may have finally prevailed on him to reconsider his stance after multiple attempts.
Trump, probably struggling with the decision, has released conflicting statements on the issue in the past month. In April, he had earlier supported mail-in ballots in a post on the social media site Truth Social.
“Good Options”
President Trump’s post on Truth Social was pretty clear and emphatic. “ABSENTEE VOTING AND ELECTION DAY VOTING ARE ALL GOOD OPTIONS,” he declared.
This was a total reversal of earlier statements he had made concerning the subject. For example, during his Iowa caucus victory, he voiced his intentions to “Get rid of mail-in ballots because once you have mail-in ballots, you have crooked elections.”
Trump’s Guys Have Since Registered Their Support
We can’t rule out the input of Trump’s close pals in his new direction. In fact, many of his inner circle have stated their support for early voting and the use of mail-in ballots. One of such people is Trump’s daughter-in-law and RNC co-chair, Lara Trump.
Similarly, Trump could have received nudgings from his favored aspirant for the RNC chairperson position, Michael Whitley – a supporter of early and mail voting.
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What’s the “Swamp The Vote USA” Program?
The “Swamp The Vote USA” initiative is a joint effort from the Trump campaign and the RNC. Its goal is to rally supporters to vote in the November 5th election.
The program’s administrators will document pledges of people to vote in specified ways, whether as absentees, early voters, or election-day voters. The program will also make tools and guidance available to help these prospective voters have a smoother participation in the election.
The Program is an Anti-Fraud Strategy
Interestingly, Donald Trump intends for the Swamp The Vote Program to fight any potential voter fraud. In a statement, Trump mentioned his intention by saying, “The way to win is to swamp them.”
He was referring to a massive turnout of his supporters to take part in the election. “If we swamp them with votes, they can’t cheat,” he added.
The Program Isn’t the First of Its Kind
The Swamp The Vote Program isn’t the first of such efforts from the Republicans. In June 2023, Congressman Byron Donald, a Southwest Florida Congressman, unveiled a similar initiative called “Bank Your Vote.”
Similarly, the program aimed to draw Republican voters to the ballots early. Former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel gave the program her full support after its launch, urging Republican voters to deny Democrats an early lead.
Is Trump’s Repentance Too Late?
Nicholas Grossman, University of Illinois assistant professor of Political Science, believes it is. In his opinion, the damage has already been done. The seeds of doubt he has sown in the hearts of his supporters over the years are now deeply rooted.
In his view, they are too deep to be uprooted by a Donald Trump U-turn just months before the election. Most of Trump’s die-hard supporters won’t listen, he said.
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