There was the Khan family controversy, the reluctance to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan, the sagging poll numbers in swing states and more prominent Republicans seemingly endorsing Hillary Clinton with increased frequency because they fear a Donald Trump presidency.
But Friday Trump finally endorsed Ryan in his re-election bid after days of refusing to do so, and some of the die-hard backers of the reality television star and real estate magnate hoped it signaled the beginning of the end of what has been a tumultuous several days since he accepted the party’s nomination for president.
Erik Laykin, executive director of LA Trump, said Trump needs to get on track soon or risk losing in November badly.
Still, he thinks there’s time for Trump to correct course and he’s definitely sticking with him.
“I would like to see less controversy,” Laykin said. “I think there are many — myself included — who wish he’d stayed clear of the Khan family and taken the high road as opposed to the low road in that dispute.”
The rough patch for Trump ignited after Khizr Khan’s speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia about his son’s service in Iraq. He said his son dreamed of being a military lawyer, but enlisted in the Army and served in Iraq. U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan was killed in 2004 by a roadside bomb and posthumously received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
Khan spoke to the cameras at the convention and questioned what Trump had ever given up. He also ripped Trump’s suggestion about imposing restrictions on Muslims entering the country in the wake of terrorist attacks.
“If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America,” Khan said during the speech. “Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities — women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country.”
Trump criticized Khan, saying he didn’t let his wife talk, instead having her stay silent on stage and suggesting it was the family’s Muslim faith that didn’t allow her to speak. Ghazala Kahn later said she didn’t speak because it was still too painful to talk about her son’s death.
However, Trump didn’t let it go and tweeted: “Mr. Khan, who does not know me, viciously attacked me from the stage of the DNC and is now all over T.V. doing the same — Nice!”
And then: “This story is not about Mr. Khan, who is all over the place doing interviews, but rather RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM and the U.S. Get smart!”
Trump’s reaction drew rebukes from several prominent Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina.
Mike Madrid, a Republican strategist and USC Unruh Institute Fellow, said the missteps by Trump this late in the campaign season could be crippling to his chances in November.
“He has a very narrow road,” Madrid said. “Four or five weeks to get this thing turned around and moving in the right direction if he’s going to have a chance. It looks increasingly difficult.”
The key, he said, remains battleground states such as Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Trump has floundered in recent polls in Pennsylvania, trailing Clinton by an average of 8 points, according to Real Clear Politics. In Florida, the average spread is about 3 points while Ohio is barely a point in favor of Clinton.
Madrid said Trump’s post-convention bounce didn’t last long and that he needs to shore things up quickly. But even if Trump loses, Madrid said he doesn’t see him being a drag on down-ticket candidates.
Paul Chabot, who is running for Congress in San Bernardino County, said he was dismayed with Trump’s reaction to the Khan family but still supportive of the GOP presidential nominee.
Chabot is a naval reservist running against Pete Aguilar, the incumbent Democratic congressman. He said he believed the Democrats exploited the Khan family by having them speak at the convention.
“For military veterans, regardless of political party, they are off-limits,” Chabot said. “But I also think that Hillary Clinton shouldn’t have paraded them around at the convention. I’m disappointed in both sides.”
But Chabot said he didn’t think Trump would be permanently damaged by the recent spate of controversies.
“I never thought he’d make it this far,” Chabot said. “What we do know is we can’t bet against Trump because he constantly finds a way to bounce back.”
