Brad Parscale briefs GOP senators on plan to expand Trump's map

By Marianne LeVine and Andrew Desiderio
·2 min read
Brad Parscale, campaign manager for President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Target Center, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump’s campaign manager Brad Parscale briefed Republican senators on Wednesday about the campaign’s effort to expand the electoral map and assure Trump’s path to reelection.

“They are more than ready for 2020,” said Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), a close Trump ally. “They’re going to be expanding the map.”

“They’ve been working hard, whereas last time was kind of spontaneous, this time has been fully prepared,” added Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.). “They’ve got states, the pathway to victory that we all know they have, and they may be expanding the field some.”

Parscale discussed the map during a Senate GOP retreat at the National Republican Senatorial Committee headquarters. Among the states Parscale mentioned as potential targets are Minnesota and New Mexico. Both states have a Senate race this year, though Republicans are not expected to flip either. Hillary Clinton won Minnesota by 1.5 points and New Mexico by 8 points.

A senior Trump campaign official confirmed that both states are being targeted, among others that Trump lost in 2016, including New Hampshire and Nevada.

“President Trump’s campaign fully plans to protect the 2016 map and expand upon it,” the official added.

Parscale presented senators with voter data and campaign investment information to argue that those states are competitive, an attendee said. He also spent a chunk of time explaining the data that the campaign gleans from its raucous rallies and previewed some of the minority coalitions the Trump campaign will launch later this year.

Parscale, who served as the digital media director for Trump’s 2016 campaign, did not offer specific predictions based on who becomes the Democratic presidential nominee, according to attendees.

“He’s very meticulous and is working hard to put a plan in place regardless of the outcome [of the Democratic race],” Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) said after the meeting.

“I don’t think the outcome at this point really matters,” Boozman added. “It’s just laying the pieces of the puzzle and putting the groundwork in place so that they can respond no matter what happens.”

Burgess Everett contributed to this report.