What is President Trump’s Strategy for Winning Re-election?

Even his harshest critics now have to admit that Donald Trump knows how to win longshot elections. That means they have to watch out for him in 2020. Despite early polls from important firms like Zogby and others saying Trump is lagging behind in the key battleground states he needs to win it is still very early and we all know how wrong the polls can be. The Democrats are assembling a crowded field to go up against the Donald, but in order to win they must first understand his strategy for re-election. Here are the top three things Trump plans to do to remain president in 2020:

Spend tons of money

Trump’s re-election campaign is preparing to spend up to $1 billion dollars and has now dished out more money, earlier in a campaign than any campaign in memory. Trump wants to win and he’s pouring in funding to make sure it happens. Money goes a long way in politics, and he’s building a sleek re-election machine with state offices, advertising, top-notch pollsters and ground teams. Running under digital guru campaign manager Brad Parscale, the Trump team is all about pumping up the red states and getting swing states to cast a vote for Trump by maximizing voter data collection and advertising at peak moments of tension and controversy. Rather than changing voters’ minds, Trump believes that by turning out and energizing his base he can win. Trump doesn’t want new supporters, he wants those on the fence and people who like him but usually don’t vote to come to the polls again – in even larger numbers – next November.

Highlight the positives

This means Trump is going to hammer home three main points: the surging US economy, foreign policy wins with his defeat of ISIS and his ability to de-escalate the tension with North Korea and toughness on illegal immigration. He’ll also branch off into bragging about moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and cutting taxes, not to mention cancelling the green energy Clean Power Plan and stepping out of the Iran Deal and Paris Climate Accord, which he’ll present as wishy-washy liberal “globalist” deals that give America no benefits and put its economy and people in danger. Trump will attack establishment figures as “all-talk no-action” blowhards who like to criticize him but have no positive results to show for all their talk. His tariff threats to Mexico, China and others have driven some commentators crazy but they’ve also produced results in some cases – forcing countries to the table and opening up the market to more US exports. Trump is simply going to hammer this point home and relentlessly mock and savage anyone in the media or political world who doesn’t line up behind him. “I’ve done more in 2½ years than any President in the history of this country.” Get ready to hear this line. A lot. As well as “no obstruction, no collusion,” and mockery of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Pick on who he thinks will be the Democratic nominee

Much as Trump is derided by the media for his gaffes and offensive statements, he is laser sharp when it comes to his political instincts. In recent reports he’s indicated he believes a candidate like Elizabeth Warren may be who he ends up going against. This means he will begin directing his attacks against the progressive wing of the Democratic party. Get ready to hear the word socialism a million times and to hear Trump make fun of Warren, Bernie and others as naïve fools who want to sell the US out to Venezuelan-style authoritarianism and oppressive Green New Deal fantasies.

Trump may not win 2020, but he’s got a bold and well-funded plan already underway. His opponents have to prepare carefully and forcefully if they want to show him the Oval Office exit door.