United State Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump has come under fire after spending time promoting his business instead of campaigning with just two weeks to polls
According to AP, Trump's campaign is defending his eyebrow-raising decision to spend precious campaign time promoting his business in the final days of the long presidential campaign as his poll numbers sink.
With less than two weeks left before Election Day, the Republican candidate is taking a break from campaigning Wednesday morning to formally open his new hotel in Washington. Meanwhile, he is dispatching his running mate, Mike Pence, to play political defense in Utah — which hasn't backed a Democrat for president in 52 years
Trump's hotel stop follows a visit Tuesday to another of Trump's properties, the Doral golf course outside Miami. The odd travel schedule less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 election illustrates a Republican ticket pulled in two directions while Democrat Hillary Clinton surges.
Trump's campaign manager defended the stops, arguing that rival Hillary Clinton took time off to prepare for the debates and that stops at Trump's hotels highlight his business experience.
"Hillary Clinton took five days off to prepare for one debate and everyone looked at that as some kind of noble exercise," she said, on NBC's "Today" show. "He's got the most active campaign sked of the two candidates by far."
The appearance comes amid signs that Trump's controversial presidential campaign has hurt his corporate brand. Rooms at the new $212 million hotel that bears his name at Washington's Old Post Office Pavilion have been heavily discounted and smartphone data suggest fewer people are visiting his properties compared to rival venues nearby. A new Facebook live show produced by his campaign has heightened speculation that Trump may try and offset any losses with advertising revenue by starting a media network a claim he denies.
At his Miami golf course, employees, many of them Hispanic women, offered testimonials about how happy they are working for him — touting Trump's job-creating prowess.
Trump also promoted the workers as examples of people affected by rising "Obamacare" premiums, though the golf course's general manager later clarified that most workers receive their insurance through Trump as their employer. The federal government announced this week that premiums for insurance under President Barack Obama's signature health care law would rise sharply next year — news some Republicans heralded as an unexpected political gift.
"He could make this race for the last two weeks a referendum on Obamacare. But of course he won't do that," said former Ted Cruz strategist Chris Wilson. "It's just a matter of him swatting at flies instead of having a coherent and consistent message."
[Lisa Lierer/Jill Colving/AP]
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