American Conservative executive director: Trump campaign must ‘get back to the core issues’

American Conservative Executive Director Johnny Burtka said the Trump campaign must return to the core issues that propelled it to victory in 2016 if it wants to reverse a recent slide in the polls.

Speaking to Hill.TV’s “Rising” on Friday, Burtka dismissed the effectiveness of a recent staff shakeup, arguing that only a change in messaging can set the campaign on a path to victory.

“At the end of the day, I really don’t think it’s going to matter because I don’t feel like the switch to [Bill] Stepien is really a change in substance,” Burtka said, referring to the new campaign manager. “It might bring about a change in terms of some tactics or techniques, but really I feel like the heart of Trump’s victory in 2016 was about the populist, nationalist message that he delivered and how that resonated with people in swing states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan.”

“But it seems to me like at least the campaign itself is wanting to run a campaign that’s based more on making fun of Joe Biden, owning the libs, creating great memes for social media. But I really think they need to get back to the core issues that animated Trump’s election.”

You can watch more of Burtka’s interview with Hill.TV above.


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