Vanity Fair is confronted with an unforeseen challenge: the Trump campaign is displaying a level of effectiveness that exceeds previous assessments. Gabriel Sherman’s article for the publication, “A Closer Look at Trump’s 2024 Campaign,” depicts President Donald Trump’s reelection efforts as being led by a formidable, skilled, and remarkably efficient team.
Vanity Fair complains about ‘terrifyingly competent’ Trump 2024 campaignhttps://t.co/gd9TUGOkF5
— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) April 7, 2024
“With Donald Trump mostly focused on his own legal peril—leaving staffers free to run the campaign—the candidate’s third bid for the White House is as efficient as it is explicitly authoritarian,” Sherman writes. “How worried should you be? Very.”
Sherman notices a puzzling pattern amidst Trump’s legal troubles, where these obstacles appear inadequate to hinder the campaign. In fact, Sherman underscores that the looming “legal jeopardy” has ironically energized Trump’s supporters. Sherman recalls the divided responses to Trump’s arrest photo, a symbolic moment captured during his processing and court appearance in Fulton County, Georgia, following a RICO indictment issued by DA Fani Willis.
To Democrats, this image symbolizes Trump’s purported criminal behavior, whereas to his fervent supporters, it represents his victimization by what they view as the “deep state.” Remarkably, the sale of merchandise featuring Trump’s arrest photo generated an impressive $7 million for the campaign’s coffers.
Sherman’s concerns extend beyond legal conflicts. He voices profound apprehension about the potential consequences if Trump were to win a second term. Sherman is particularly alarmed by the possibility of Trump’s “escalating extremist and aggressive rhetoric” shaping policy, fearing that such a scenario may not be improbable.
“While his 2016 agenda was frequently stymied by infighting and incompetence, available signs point to a second West Wing staffed by loyalists who would actually carry out his policies,” Sherman asserts.
Trump’s Second Term Would Be Horrifyingly Competent. This Would Not Be Re-Do of His First Term: Inside the Terrifyingly Competent Trump 2024 Campaign – Vanity Fair https://t.co/QYDlEc2zAQ
— Jack Hopkins (@thejackhopkins) April 5, 2024
The recent revamp of the Republican National Committee, led by Trump himself and resulting in the appointment of his daughter-in-law Lara as co-chair, is seen as a strategic blueprint for consolidating power, as per Sherman’s analysis.
Jason Miller, the former president’s senior campaign adviser, conveyed to Sherman that “Trump recognizes who can deliver and who cannot. Those who betrayed him in 2016 will not have a place in the upcoming White House.”
Trump’s enduring popularity among his base, along with his strong electoral performance in 2020 and the establishment of a proven, capable, and fiercely loyal campaign team, presents a formidable challenge.
For Sherman and many Democrats, it’s akin to witnessing the transformation of an inept golfer, reminiscent of Adam Sandler’s character in Happy Gilmore, suddenly mastering putting: Trump’s campaign, they fear, may be poised for a triumphant resurgence.
Sherman’s concerns heighten as he examines the potential makeup of Trump’s inner circle in a possible second term. The idea of an administration reshaped under Trump’s leadership raises serious concerns about governance integrity.
Sherman, in conclusion, invokes a plea for divine intervention: “God help us, indeed.”
It serves as a poignant reminder of the deep concern regarding the direction of Trump’s campaign and its possible consequences for the country.
“So how extreme could a second Trump administration get? One thing is certain, few of the guardrails that protected American democracy during his first term are still standing,” Sherman writes.
“In February, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, Trump’s last GOP antagonist, announced he would be stepping down and soon endorsed Trump. ‘Trump wants to disintegrate the administrative state,’ Scaramucci told me. ‘They want to wipe out the separation of powers and make Trump a dictator. It’s very clear,’” he continued.
