Hume weighs Trump's tour Turnout benefits and risks

Oct 5

After Trump's claim that his campaigning produces victories and Baier's map of recent stops, Brit Hume says visits to normally safe Republican states indicate competitive races and a need to mobilize the base. He argues that Trump's appearances and the recurring black-and-white walking-toward-camera advertisement may also mobilize Democrats. He questions whether Trump's support transfers to other candidates, but explicitly allows that the strategy may work. Hume calls fuel prices a key vulnerability and cites El-Sayed's emphasis on them. Baier and Hume also caution that polling can understate Republican support. These are attributed campaign assessments and uncertainties, not election results or a finding that the tour will fail.

In an October 5 on-air assessment, Brit Hume argues that Trump's campaigning in normally safe Republican states reflects a need to energize the base but may also energize Democrats. He questions whether Trump's personal support transfers to candidates, uses the recurring black-and-white advertisement as an example, and says lower fuel prices would help Republicans. He allows that the strategy could work and warns about polling uncertainty.