Cell phones out to capture the moment, the crowd roared as Donald Trump made his entrance, bumping fists with supporters.
Author of the article:
Bloomberg News
Stephanie Lai
Published Mar 23, 2024 • 3 minute read
You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.
Article content
(Bloomberg) — Cell phones out to capture the moment, the crowd roared as Donald Trump made his entrance, bumping fists with supporters.
But it wasn’t a campaign rally packed with his loyal voters. The former president was at a UFC fight in Miami — a city he lost in the 2020 election to Joe Biden — with Black and Hispanic fans ringing the stage.
Article content
The warm welcome is one reason why his campaign sees an opportunity for Trump to reach beyond his usual base of largely White male backers to more diverse voters who may well help decide the outcome of the general election in November. But with some groups of undecided voters turned off by his incendiary rhetoric on women, immigrants and democracy, Trump has to rely on others to carry his message there, according to strategists.
Advertisement 2
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman, Victoria Wells and others.
Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.
Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman, Victoria Wells and others.
Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.
Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Access articles from across Canada with one account.
Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
Enjoy additional articles per month.
Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Sign In or Create an Account
or
Article content
“In order to win voters he’s isolated himself from — like suburban women — Trump needs a killer surrogate program with voices that can change their minds,” said Republican strategist and former RNC communications director Lisa Camooso-Miller.
Read more: Trump Leads in Polls But Badly Trails in Crucial 2024 Money Race
With appearances like the mixed-martial arts fight earlier this month, Trump is targeting narrower slices of the electorate where his name still gives him star power.
“You need to go where you’re not as known,” said Jordan Brown, a 31-year-old Black voter from Miami who backed Biden 2020 but plans to vote for Trump in November. “People are going to see that you actually do care about what people are doing.”
Outside the Miami stadium, Michelle De Lima, a 31-year-old financial administrator from Pennsylvania who recently became a citizen after immigrating from Brazil, said she planned to cast her first ballot for Trump.
“Coming to events like this breaks down the scrutiny that he is just looking out for business people and white people,” she said.
The Trump campaign is looking to branch out beyond the core of blue-collar White voters who helped him to victory in 2016 and events like the Ultimate Fighting Championship are key to that effort, according to spokesman Steven Cheung. He pointed to polls showing growing support among Black and Hispanic voters.
Top Stories
Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Thanks for signing up!
A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.
The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.
We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again
Article content
Advertisement 3
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
“It’s no longer this standard, establishment, regular Republican voting bloc, Trump has expanded it in a lot of different ways,” he said.
Trump has also done interviews with podcasts popular with UFC fans and young voters. In an episode with the Nelk Boys in April, he rattled off his usual interview material, explaining his gripes with the nation’s energy policy while also answering simple questions from the hosts such as what makes Taiwan important.
“Who the hell is Ice Spice?” Trump asked about the rising female rapper.
Trump has suggested he might host rallies at Madison Square Garden, and the campaign has discussed campaign stops in cities like Chicago, Cheung said. Trump lost there by well over 50 points in 2020.
He hasn’t always gotten a warm welcome in traditionally Democratic cities. In Philadelphia last month, he was met with a mix of boos and applause from the crowd at Sneaker Con. He was at the convention for collectors to show of his new line of $399 gold-colored basketball shoes.
“Wow, there’s a lot of emotion in this room,” Trump said, looking bemused.
Supporter Roman Sharf, a self-described Philadelphia “sneakerhead,” said he spent $9,000 for an autographed pair of Trump’s latest shoes.
Advertisement 4
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
“He’s now appealing to a very, very broad category by putting out a sneaker,” Sharf said.
While some strategists see Trump’s outreach to voters of color as tone deaf, allies see it as a chance to erode Biden’s support in core Democratic constituencies.
“Not everybody’s in a rally,” said US Representative Byron Donalds, a close Trump ally, at a rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina
And with his campaign facing financial pressures, these events offer lower-cost alternatives to his hallmark rallies.
In Miami, UFC fans welcomed the political attention.
“I feel like Biden should be doing events like what Trump is doing,” Xavier Fernandez, a 25-year-old business owner from Massachusetts, said as he entered the arena. He said he’s leaning toward voting for the former president in November.