Trump and his allies certainly seem rattled by Harris’ push

But images of Trump smiling, surrounded by revelers donning their own earmuffs, while Hulk Hogan ripped off his shirt in support of the former president seem almost a distant memory.

Since Vice President Kamala Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee, there has been unmistakable excitement surrounding her campaign, from record donations to closing the gap — and even leading — in some varied state polls.

With the latest burst of momentum surrounding Harris, the selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as his running mate, the former president seems even a little flustered.

When contacted by Business Insider about reports that Trump is frustrated by the Harris campaign’s push, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Chueng called it “fake news.”

“President Trump and his campaign team are doing whatever it takes to win this election,” he said in an email, adding that the stakes are too high and “everyone knows how to row in unison in the same direction. The party and the movement never had. was more unified”.

Trump continues to drift away from the message

When President Joe Biden was his opponent, Trump seemed to have no problem staying on message: Biden is too old, look at the border, look at how high grocery prices are, etc.

But with Harris, Trump seems unable to counter-message, at times even appearing visibly frustrated at a news conference this week by the hype surrounding her campaign.

He hasn’t been able to avoid bringing up race and gender — even questioning Harris’ heritage while speaking at a conference for black journalists — despite allies urging him to focus on the issues .

He was even taken to defend Biden.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, he baselessly said the presidency was “stolen” from Biden by Harris and other Democrats.

At a news conference at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, he again argued that Biden had “the right to run” but that the Democrats had “taken him away.”

When a reporter asked Trump at the same news conference if he was concerned about the size of the crowds Harris was drawing, he sounded exasperated in response. “Oh, give me a break,” he said, accusing the media of ignoring the large crowds he drew.

He even went on to claim that he drew a bigger crowd on the National Mall on January 6, 2021 than Martin Luther King Jr. did in 1963 when he gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. (King had about 250,000 people. The Jan. 6 committee estimated Trump had 53,000.)

Some Trump allies are also concerned

It’s not just Trump who seems a little rattled by the way the electoral tables have turned, with some on the right losing faith in the former president’s ability to win in November.

“It was game over at the convention, and the Democrats realized it,” Richard Porter, a member of the Republican National Committee, told The Washington Post. “I thought it was too good to be true, and it was.”

Five people close to the campaign who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Post Trump is constantly expressing frustration with how the race is shaping up. “It’s unfair that I beat him and now I have to beat her too,” Trump told an ally recently, the media reported.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, even admitted to the Post that the campaign “hit some speed bumps.”

Ben Shapiro, a right-wing pundit, told The New York Times that Trump needs to focus on attacking the Harris-Walz campaign and “stick to one simple point: You were better in 2019 than you were in 2024.”

It’s impossible to say whether all the momentum behind the Harris campaign will ultimately translate into a victory in November.

Meanwhile, Trump’s handling of it may not help his case.