On Saturday, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign sent out a memo warning that the presidential race is “far closer” than it seems, Fox News reported.
Biden’s campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, told supporters that commentators and members of the press may be underestimating President Donald Trump , who pulled a major upset against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton four years ago.
“[T]he reality is that this race is far closer than some of the punditry we’re seeing on Twitter and on TV would suggest,” the memo read.
Dillon suggested that there is a chance polling is wrong and noted that turnout could make all the difference, since the two candidates are running “neck and neck” in key battlegrounds.
“[E]ven the best polling can be wrong and that variables like turnout mean that in a number of critical swing states we are fundamentally tied.”
“If we learned anything from 2016, it’s that we cannot underestimate Donald Trump or his ability to claw his way back into contention in the final days of a campaign,” the document continued.
It wasn’t only bad news that Dillon shared with supporters. She also noted that Biden has a major financial and organizational advantage over Trump, with nearly 3,500 staffers dispatched to aid with the voting process in swing states.
She pointed out that the Biden’s team has spent more money on advertising than any presidential candidate in history, revealing that they plan on doubling their capacity when it comes to voter outreach, while investing in state-specific voter hotlines and teams of lawyers and observers.
According to Dillon, team Biden will dedicate its resources to 17 battleground states and raise $234 million by November 3. If they manage to raise more money, they will focus their attention on the traditionally Republican state of Texas , which the former Delaware senator is hoping to turn blue.
Still, the memo stressed that Trump should not be underestimated because “every indication we have shows that this thing is going to come down to the wire.”
As Dillon repeatedly asserted, public polling paints an entirely different picture. Biden seems like the absolute favorite, with Trump far behind in battlegrounds and nationwide. The latest CNN poll , for instance, put Biden 16 percentage points ahead of Trump, nationally.
Trump and his allies have projected confidence about the upcoming election, but some reports indicate that the president’s closest advisers believe he will lose.
They reportedly see Biden as the favorite because the president has been unwilling to change his strategy, choosing instead to rely on his usual talking points.
