Trump Demands That the Republican Party Be ‘Reimbursed for Fraud’: 'We Have To Start All Over Again'

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump recently demanded to be 'reimbursed for fraud' for the funds his party used to campaign against President Joe Biden. Three weeks after his dismal performance in the Georgia debate, Biden on Sunday afternoon announced that he would not seek reelection, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Taking to his Truth Social handle, Trump spent Sunday attacking Biden, griping about debates, and levying other accusations.

In one of his posts, Trump claimed that the Democrats were running an immoral campaign. He penned, "So, we are forced to spend time and money on fighting Crooked Joe Biden, he polls badly after having a terrible debate, and quits the race. Now we have to start all over again. Shouldn’t the Republican Party be reimbursed for fraud in that everybody around Joe, including his doctors and the Fake News Media, knew he was not capable of running or being president? Just askin’?"

After his terrible debate performance on June 27, questions about Biden's mental acuity at 81 (the oldest president in US history) became more prominent, leading to demands for his withdrawal by both donors and his party members. Subsequently, Biden tested positive for COVID-19 which halted his campaigning efforts. While Biden didn't cite his reason for stepping down, he announced on X, "It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while I have intended to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term." Additionally, the incumbent lent his support to his running mate, Harris. 

Next month at the Democratic National Convention, Harris is set to become the official nominee of the party. In light of the same, Republicans have been plotting a political attack on her. The New York Times recently reported that the Trump campaign has compiled opposition research books on Harris and other Democrats who could replace Biden. According to two sources, the preparations have largely centered on Harris. This includes a survey that was conducted not long ago to gauge her weaknesses in a general election campaign. As per the outlet, the Trump campaign is focusing on Harris because they believe that Democrats would further fracture the party and lose support from Black people if they ignored the first Black woman to hold the position of vice president.

According to the most recent polling averages from Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) and The Hill, the vice president would have her own unique obstacles if she were to compete directly with Trump. The aggregate of national surveys suggests that Trump has 2 percentage points of support over Harris, with 47% to 45%. Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination at last week's GOP conference. With 46% of the vote compared to 43.5 for the incumbent Biden, it's almost identical to Trump's 2.5-point advantage. Even with the inclusion of independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump has a 6-point advantage over Harris, with 43% to 37% support, while Kennedy has 6%.