According to a recent Axios report, advisers to former President Donald Trump are growing increasingly anxious about his faltering public appearances in the aftermath of the attempt on his life and the switch in Democratic presidential candidates. Despite their concerns, however, they are also aware that Trump is unlikely to change his approach. The report reveals that Trump has become angrier and more frustrated in private as Kamala Harris has surged ahead of him in multiple polls. This lead is predicted to grow further following the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

Fresh polling data from The New York Times over the weekend showed Harris leading Trump by a narrow margin of four points within the margin of error in three crucial battleground states: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Additionally, private polls conducted by Republicans in Ohio indicated that Trump is receiving less than 50 percent of the vote against Harris, marking a significant drop from the 53 percent he achieved in the state during the 2020 election.

Trump's frustration over the resurgence of the Democrats was first evident in a Times report on Friday, which revealed that he had privately referred to Harris using derogatory language. Furthermore, he reportedly sent a text message to billionaire Miriam Adelson, one of his top supporters and a major funder of the super PAC Preserve America, complaining about the group being filled with "RINOs" (Republicans in name only), according to the Times. This outburst left advisers concerned that Adelson may reduce her donations going forward.

Despite recognizing Trump's stubbornness, his advisers are determined to adapt his message to secure victory rather than change his overall approach. "Not on the need for him to change but on the need to adapt his message to win" is where their focus lies, according to a source interviewed by Axios. Acknowledging their deep unease, the advisers are hoping that Trump will adopt a new "hard-hitting" stump speech that effectively communicates a winning message. To support this effort, they have invested tens of millions into a widespread TV ad campaign targeting states like Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan.

As the tension mounts within Trump's inner circle, the coming weeks will undoubtedly reveal how well their strategic adjustments resonate with voters and whether they can regain the ground lost to Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party.