'God willing': Internal Trump campaign email shows campaign fears he could lose

Former President Donald Trump in Glendale, Arizona on August 23, 2024 (Gage Skidmore)
Alex Henderson
November 04, 2024Election 2024

In many of his fiery campaign speeches, former President Donald Trump has refused to entertain the possibility that he could lose the 2024 presidential election. Trump has claimed to be the clear frontrunner, but in fact, countless national and battleground state polls are showing a very close race.

Trump and Vice Presidential Kamala Harris are tied in national polls released by NBC News, the New York Post and Emerson College in early November. An ABC News/Ipsos poll released on November 3 showed Harris with a 3 percent leader.

Meanwhile, a New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll released the same day showed Trump and Harris in a dead heat in Pennsylvania — a crucial swing state that could decide the election's outcome.

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According to Axios' Sophia Cai, an internal Trump campaign e-mail sent on Friday, November 1 acknowledged the possibility that Trump could lose the election.

The e-mail, Trump campaign co-manager Susie Wiles used language like "should we be victorious," "regardless of the outcome of the election" and "God willing."

"The matter-of-fact email comes as the Trump campaign is publicly projecting confidence, and promoting any polls that show Trump defeating Vice President Harris handily," Cai reports. "Trump himself has been quick to belittle unfavorable polls and has vowed that the only way he could lose is if Democrats cheat. He has laid the groundwork for legal challenges if things don't go his way."

In the e-mail, Wiles told campaign staffers that "should we be victorious," they will be assigned to either "the official Trump-Vance Transition" or "the Presidential Inaugural Committee."

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"Regardless of the outcome of the election," Wiles wrote, "November 30 will be your last day on payroll."

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Read Axios' full article at this link.