Less than a month ago, Donald Trump's presidential campaign seemed invincible, with a commanding lead in the polls and a unified party at the Republican National Convention. However, the entry of Vice President Kamala Harris as the new Democratic nominee has upended Trump's advantage and forced his campaign to recalibrate its strategy.

Throughout 2024, Trump's campaign had been focused on relentlessly attacking Joe Biden as "weak, failed, and dishonest," a message that resonated with many voters. Polls consistently showed Trump ahead of Biden in key battleground states. However, since Harris emerged as Biden's replacement, polling suggests that she does not face the same vulnerabilities as her predecessor, despite being his vice president.

The Trump campaign has grappled with how to effectively attack Harris and has settled on criticizing the Democratic Party's policy stances on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border, emphasizing Harris' involvement in addressing these issues since taking office. However, this messaging has struggled to gain traction as the campaign has been overshadowed by a series of bad news cycles, some of which were created by Trump himself.

At a recent National Association of Black Journalists conference, Trump made false claims about Harris "turning Black" for political gain. During a rally in Atlanta, he focused more on personal attacks against Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp than on criticizing Democrats. Trump's posts on social media and speeches have become increasingly meandering, disjointed, and rooted in grievances compared to earlier in the campaign.

Unlike his 2016 run, Trump has not held as many rallies, both in battleground states and Republican strongholds. Since July, he has only held eight rallies, compared to 22 in the same time frame during the previous election. When questioned about his reduced campaign trail presence, Trump dismissed it as a "stupid question," asserting that he is leading by a significant margin and engaging in other campaigning methods such as taping commercials and interacting with media through phone, radio, and television interviews.

Meanwhile, national polls released in the past week indicate that Harris has taken a slight lead over Trump, buoyed by a surge in Democratic enthusiasm. This has prompted Trump to ramp up attacks on Harris, questioning her intelligence and claiming that his rally on January 6, 2021, had a larger attendance than Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have A Dream" speech. Trump has also announced his willingness to debate Harris on September 10, an event that could have a significant impact on the race as voters begin casting their ballots.

While Trump has been less active on the campaign trail, his vice presidential pick, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has been making appearances across the Midwest, shadowing Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Vance has seized the opportunity to contrast Republican policies on immigration, inflation, and crime with those of the Democrats, sharply criticizing Harris's tenure as vice president.

As the Trump campaign grapples with shifting dynamics and messaging challenges, the upcoming debate with Harris looms as a critical moment in the race, especially considering that Trump is no longer the clear favorite. With the election season in full swing, both candidates will continue to vie for the support of the electorate, hoping to secure their place in America's political future.