During his warm-up act for senator and vice presidential hopeful JD Vance, Brian Pannebecker, the founder of Auto Workers for Trump 2024, told the Michigan crowd, “This year, we’ve gotta beat the Dems at their own game.” He emphasized the importance of voting early and warned that the Democrats are likely to cheat. Pannebecker also revealed the Trump campaign’s strategy for targeting low-propensity voters in Michigan, which largely relies on Elon Musk’s America PAC, podcasts, and vibes.
In contrast, the Democrats in Michigan are investing significant resources into their ground game, with a focus on relational organizing and reaching undecided and low-propensity voters. Despite this disparity in approach, recent polling in Michigan remains close, with the race consistently tied or within the margin of error.
The Trump campaign’s unconventional and seemingly lackadaisical strategy has raised questions about whether it could be a successful moneyball tactic. Instead of a traditional voter turnout operation, the campaign is relying on mobile apps that are difficult to find and use, and have been criticized for their limitations and bugs.
Some experts have attributed this approach to the influence of “grifters” within Trumpworld, rather than a well-thought-out strategy. Overall, the Trump campaign’s reliance on technology and podcasts to target low-propensity voters in Michigan remains a risky and unproven tactic.
