The Trump Campaigns Theory of Victory
The Trump campaign isn\u2019t just expecting to win this election; it\u2019s expecting to win it in a landslide. And top Trump campaign officials were feeling that confident even before Joe Biden\u2019s disastrous debate performance. So what\u2019s their strategy to achieve the blowout they\u2019re imagining? And is their confidence justified?\n\nTim Alberta is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of \u201cAmerican Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump.\u201d He recently spent months profiling Trump\u2019s campaign managers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita. In this conversation, Alberta offers an inside look at the Trump campaign and their theory of victory. We discuss how the campaign has tailored its messaging to capitalize on Joe Biden\u2019s weaknesses; LaCivita\u2019s and Wiles\u2019s personal backgrounds and approaches to the campaign; what Trump\u2019s vice-presidential pick, Senator J.D. Vance, signals about Trump\u2019s vision for his presidency; and more.\n\nMentioned:\n\n\u201cTrump Is Planning for a Landslide Win\u201d by Tim Alberta\n\n\u201cHow J.D. Vance Won Over Donald Trump\u201d by Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman\n\nBook Recommendations:\n\nTired of Winning by Jonathan Karl\n\nKingdom of Rage by Elizabeth Neumann\n\nRomney by McKay Coppins\n\nThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.\n\nYou can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of \u201cThe Ezra Klein Show\u201d at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.\n\nThis episode of \u201cThe Ezra Klein Show\u201d was produced by Rollin Hu. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Kate Sinclair and Mary Marge Locker. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon. The show\u2019s production team also includes Annie Galvin, Elias Isquith and Kristin Lin. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Sonia Herrero.