Donald Trump Campaigns In Long-Shot Blue States Less Than A Month From Election Day

Donald Trump isn’t likely to win the reliably Democratic strongholds of California, New York or Colorado in this year’s presidential election.

Yet the GOP’s presidential nominee is scheduled to campaign there anyway, less than four weeks from Election Day, spending precious time and resources that could otherwise be used toward winning battleground states, where he stands a much better chance against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Nevertheless, Trump’s campaign sees the upcoming rallies in Coachella, California, New York City and Aurora, Colorado, as “an effective strategy to blame immigration and border security problems” on Harris and other Democrats, according to Axios. That narrative, despite his opposition to the bipartisan border bill, is consistent with Trump’s criticism of Democratic-led cities and states that predates his first run for president in 2016.

“Under Kamala Harris and her dangerous Democrat allies like Tim Walz, the notorious ‘California Dream’ has turned into a nightmare for everyday Americans,” Trump’s campaign said in a press release announcing this weekend’s rally in Coachella Valley in the southwestern California desert.

Harris is a California native, representing the state in the U.S. Senate and serving as its attorney general before becoming vice president. Trump is sure to go after her record and other California Democrats during his rally this weekend.

But Ammar Moussa, director of rapid response for Harris’ campaign, mocked the former president’s decision to campaign in a deep-blue state just days from the election.

“Oh no. This is extremely concerning for our campaign,” Moussa said on X, formerly called Twitter. “Please do not go to Coachella, CALIFORNIA 24 days before the election.”

Coachella is located in a safely rated Democratic district held by Rep. Raul Ruiz. However, Trump’s visit there could aid endangered GOP Rep. Ken Calvert, whose district is adjacent to Ruiz’s and is considered competitive.

Some Republicans have also argued that the event could resonate with Latino voters across the country, who have experienced a rightward shift in recent years. Polling data has indicated that Democrats’ edge among Latino voters is at its lowest level in the last four presidential cycles, for example.

“Sure it’s in California but dismiss the message it sends it at your own peril,” veteran GOP political consultant Mike Madrid warned in a post on X.

But Trump could send the same message by campaigning instead in nearby Arizona, an actual swing state with many Latino voters. He currently leads Harris by only 1 point there, according to the Five Thirty-Eight polling average.

Trump is also scheduled to host a rally in New York City at the famed Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27, according to NBC News, just nine days before Election Day. The location for that event ― midtown Manhattan ― is even more puzzling. He could have chosen to campaign instead on New York’s conservative-leaning Long Island, as he did last month, to aid several House Republican incumbents there.

Trump’s visit to Aurora this Friday comes in the wake of his false claims attacking immigrants there during last month’s presidential debate against Harris. The former president said that “Venezuelan gangs have taken over entire apartment buildings” in the city — a statement that was rebutted by its mayor and other local officials.

Doug Heye, a former Republican National Committee communications director, told HuffPost that “one would think” Trump’s time would be better spent campaigning in battleground states.

Harris, meanwhile, is holding rallies this weekend in Arizona and Pennsylvania, another critical battleground that could determine the presidential race.