Trump and Musk’s “backup” plan has now been pushed to the forefront as their main strategy

Cannot take the eye of the ball now

Donald Trump wants law enforcement to do their job immediately! Had they done that—treating everyone in the United States as equal before the law—we wouldn’t be reading this tweet, would we?

The problem with withholding justice because of the power someone wields is that it gives them license to continue, perhaps even to escalate.

But that’s a discussion for another day. Today, it’s all about Pennsylvania. The early voting numbers there are an absolute disaster for the Trump campaign. Compared to turnout in rural areas of Georgia and North Carolina, GOP voters simply aren’t showing up in Pennsylvania. As a result, Democrats have built up a massive lead with less than a week until Election Day.

The gap between Democratic and Republican votes is the widest in Pennsylvania compared to other battleground states. The gender gap, with more female than male voters, is also the widest in Pennsylvania. The “hate rally” organized by MAGA at Madison Square Garden has significantly hurt Donald Trump’s support among Latino voters nationwide, with the impact likely to be most visible in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Nevada.

So, what can Trump do?

Ideally, Trump should apologize for what was said at the MSG rally. But he can’t. Admitting he was wrong or saying he's sorry would undermine the “macho” brand he’s built to appeal to over 40 million working-class American men without a college degree. Many of them are struggling economically and need to feel powerful. Trump embodies that by portraying himself as a tough, unapologetic figure who “stands up” to everyone else.

So, apologizing isn’t an option. After falling so far behind in early voting, rallying Republican voters in PA isn’t viable either. His campaign lacks the ground game—in Pennsylvania and in other battleground states.

As a result, the Trump campaign has fallen back on its backup option in Pennsylvania: pushing the fraud narrative. He’s avoiding talk of North Carolina, where the race remains close, and he’s silent on Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia, where he still has a shot. But Pennsylvania, where he’s clearly struggling (as I detailed yesterday), is becoming the target of his fraud claims.

Elon Musk has amplified this approach, opening pathways for election-related misinformation to spread even further. The floodgates are open.

What should we do?

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

If there were ever a time to stay focused, it’s now. The path to winning the seven battleground states is truly opening up. Remember what happened when Trump pushed the "elections are stolen" narrative during the 2021 Senate elections in Georgia? He tanked Republican turnout, helping Democrats secure both Senate seats.

Trump and Musk are now caught in a bind of their own making. If they stay quiet, they’ll miss the chance to build up election conspiracy theories. But if they ramp up those claims, they risk suppressing Republican turnout and alienating independents.

They’ll likely aim for a middle ground. I expect a targeted attack on Pennsylvania. Why? Because the race remains close in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada. They’ll tread cautiously in these states, maybe tossing out a few minor accusations, but Pennsylvania will take the hardest hit.

The fact that the Trump campaign recognizes they're behind is a very good sign. That’s the risk cheaters will always have to accept — you just wont be able to work as hard to win outright.

You just can’t.

Ignore their noise, stay focused, and aim to win all seven. The eight-year nightmare can finally come to an end.

Before anyone asks, “Why not Michigan?”

The reason is that Michigan’s House and Senate are both controlled by Democrats, whereas Pennsylvania’s legislative control is split between the two major parties.

When former Vice President Mike Pence consulted his top lawyer in January 2021 over Trump’s pressure to block or delay the electoral vote count, his counsel, Greg Jacob, sent a memo that reads:

“A reasonable argument might further be made that when resolving a dispute between competing electoral slates, Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution places a firm thumb on the scale on the side of the State legislature.

Here, however, no State legislature has appointed or certified any alternate slate of electors”.

The target is GOP-controlled state legislatures. Trump and Musk aim to pressure them into providing an alternative slate of electors.

They are attempting to mount a pressure campaign.

So, what’s the best way to counter it? Win all seven battleground states and push the race well beyond the Trump-Musk reach.

No one’s going to argue over a bad referee call when a team loses by 20 points. But in a game lost by just one point? You can bet that call will be under a microscope.