Maggie Haberman claims Trump could be 'manipulated' by conspiracies theories amid Kamala Harris' rise
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: As Donald Trump finds himself increasingly on the defensive in his showdown with Kamala Harris, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman warns that the former president’s mounting frustration could lead him down a perilous path.
“Trump is a man of few moves, and so we have seen him make the same ones over and over,” Haberman told CNN’s Anderson Cooper, underscoring Trump’s limited political playbook.
How Donald Trump's scrutiny of Kamala Harris' race is shaping presidential race
With Kamala Harris closing in on Donald Trump in the polls, the Republican nominee is recycling tactics reminiscent of his controversial “birther” crusade against Barack Obama in 2008.
Recent scrutiny of Harris’ racial identity during a disastrous interview at a Black journalists’ conference only fueled backlash, revealing Trump’s attempts to incite racial divisions.
“They are trying pretty hard to bait Democrats into a fight about race and it's been something so far that the Harris campaign has not taken the bait on,” Haberman noted.
Maggie Haberman exposes Donald Trump's vulnerability to fringe ideas
With Donald Trump’s usual strategies faltering, Maggie Haberman warned that he is “clearly feeling cornered right now” which makes him susceptible to fringe thinkers and conspiracy theorists who could further derail his campaign.
“He is so disoriented and it has left him pretty susceptible to being manipulated,” the reporter revealed.
“He has a lot of people around him who either support conspiracy theories or don’t like what they see as the establishment or are critical of certain kinds of Republicans and, when he is feeling cornered, he tends to listen to those people.”
Trump’s fixation on crowd sizes and conspiracy theories about media manipulation during his rallies illustrates his current erratic state.
“These are moves he makes when he’s under strain or anxiety or uncertainty and he tends to be at his most erratic,” Haberman explained. “The number of people who we have spoken to who just say he seems very on edge is not small.”
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump poll highlights danger for former president
Recent polls persist in showing Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of former president Donald Trump since securing the Democratic presidential nomination.
The latest Morning Consult survey reveals Harris leading Trump by three points, with a 47% to 44% margin, according to Forbes.
The poll, released on Monday, also shows 4% of registered voters choosing “someone else” and another 4% undecided. This marks the fourth consecutive Morning Consult's weekly poll indicating Trump lagging behind Harris.
