One of Donald Trump’s biggest hurdles in his likely rematch with President Biden could be the man in the mirror, according to analysts who say the former president is often his own worst enemy.
Mr. Trump‘s dominance over Nikki Haley and the rest of his former rivals in the GOP presidential primary showed his undeniable strength with the base of the Republican Party. But the nomination contests also highlighted some of his potential soft spots in the general election — namely his struggles with suburban, college-educated voters, independents and women.
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Mr. Trump can get back into the good graces of those voters if he can adopt a more disciplined and respectful tone.
“I think the most important thing that can change that is for President Trump to learn one of the lessons of his first term: When he counterpunches as hard as he does sometimes, he ends up hitting himself,” Mr. Fleischer said on “The Charlie Kirk show” this week.
Mr. Fleischer, who served under President George W. Bush, gave the example of Mr. Trump needlessly going out of his way after winning the New Hampshire primary to mock Ms. Haley’s dress.
“What was the political advantage in that?” he said. “Suburban college-educated women just say, ‘How can anybody talk like that? How can he be so disparaging of people?’”
Mr. Trump’s pugilistic style has worked in his favor, energizing voters who grew sick of the status quo and mealy-mouthed politicians.
On Tuesday, it played a role in his landslide 41-point victory over Ms. Haley in the Michigan primary.
But the fatal blow against Ms. Haley likely came a few days earlier after he rode the strong support of White evangelical Christian voters and voters without college degrees to a 20-point win over Ms. Haley in her home state of South Carolina.
Similar winning coalitions showed up for him in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
Ms. Haley, however, has had more luck than Mr. Trump with college-educated voters, independents, moderates, and higher-income voters.
That reality raises red flags for Mr. Trump’s general election campaign against Mr Biden, who is angling once again for the anti-Trump voter.
Four years ago, Mr. Biden carried 68% of the voters who said they were casting their vote “manly against his opponent.”
Ms. Haley is worried the situation will repeat itself this fall and is reminding voters that since Mr. Trump was elected in 2016, the Republican Party has suffered a series of election setbacks because some of these voting blocs have turned their back on Mr. Trump.
“If you are running for president, your job is to bring as many people to you as president — not push people out,” Ms. Haley said this week in Grand Rapids. “But that is what he is doing. He is pushing people away from the Republican Party and that is not how you win.”
Asked about Ms. Haley’s electability warning, Trump spokesperson Steve Cheung said, “Republican voters have delivered resounding wins for President Trump in every single primary contest, and this race is over. Our focus is now on Joe Biden and the general election.”
Trump pollster John McLaughlin said Ms. Haley’s take is “bogus.”
“It’s a myth and just wishful thinking on Gov. Haley’s part,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “Nikki Haley needs to get out and endorse [Mr. Trump] so we can beat Joe Biden together.”
Mr. Biden has his problems.
Voters are concerned about his age, and question whether the 81-year-old president is mentally fit for the job.
Mr. Biden also is facing blowback from different parts of the Democratic coalition.
The Arab American community’s frustration with Biden’s handling of the Israel-Palestinian boiled over Tuesday in the Michigan primary with more than 100,000 Democrats casting protest votes for “uncommitted.”
That could prove to be a problem for Mr. Biden in November.
Recent Emerson College Polling/The Hill surveys showed Mr. Trump getting the better of Mr. Biden in the swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada and Georgia.
“The election is 251 days away, but if it were held today, it would be a landslide for Trump,” Mr. McLaughlin said.
“Today, President Trump’s coalition is creating a realignment absorbing working-class voters and middle-class taxpayers of younger, African American and Latino voters,” he said. “There are actually Biden 2020 voters who are now voting for Trump in 2024. Biden has imploded the Obama coalition and expanded the Trump coalition.”