‘Mega Donors Vs. You’: With Harris In, Trump Campaign Re-Embraces Outsider Narrative

TOPLINE

In the wake of Biden’s selection of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as his running mate, the Trump campaign has quietly recycled a narrative that served them well in 2016: that Trump is the scrappy, grassroots-backed outsider alternative to his liberal elite opponents.

KEY FACTS

Crucial Quote

“I’m not liking globalists too much, but they don’t like me too much either,” Trump said during a speech at an appliance factory in Ohio earlier this month, where he touted his contributions to working-class Americans. “Globalization has made the financial elites, who donate to politicians, very wealthy, but it’s left millions and millions of our workers with nothing but poverty and heartache, and our towns and cities with empty factories and plants.”

Big Number

131. That’s how many billionaire donors Biden has, according to Forbes’ Michela Tindera. That outpaces Trump, who has 99 billionaire backers. Still, Trump’s figure represents an enormous increase from 2016, when Forbes reported he had just 20 billionaire supporters.

What To Watch For

Democrats have worked to spawn a counternarrative through their convention, highlighting average Americans and attempting to display Biden’s strong family values. Most notably, the well-received roll call vote on Tuesday featured parents, teachers, small business owners and essential workers in addition to Democratic politicians.