Trump Campaign at Risk: Dans Calls for Urgent Changes

On Wednesday’s WarRoom Paul Dans delivered a candid assessment of the current state of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, warning that without significant changes in leadership, the campaign risks failure. Drawing from his experience in team sports, Dans described the situation as the "fourth quarter,” where urgent, strategic moves are necessary to secure victory. "We’re on the doorstep of World War III, and we have to wake up,” he declared, underscoring the critical nature of the upcoming election.

Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita Under Fire

Dans’s key argument is that Trump needs to immediately bench campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, whom he claims are out of their depth and responsible for strategic blunders that have weakened Trump’s chances. “Trump needs to call everyone to the sideline, basically bench Susie and Chris, and he’s got to put the team back on the field that won this in 2016,” Dans urged, highlighting the need to restore the leadership that originally led Trump to victory.

Strategic Missteps: Early Debate and Missed Opportunities

A major point of criticism was the Trump campaign’s decision to push Joe Biden off the stage too early, without a solid plan to handle Kamala Harris. "They played into the Democrats’ hands,” Dans explained, pointing to the campaign’s insistence on early debates, which gave Democrats the opportunity to replace Biden with Harris if needed. "They climbered for early debate in June and left the Democrats this optionality to slip Joe out if things went south—and they did.”

Another misstep, according to Dans, was the failure to capitalize on key moments that could have galvanized Trump’s base. He pointed to Trump’s assassination attempt as a missed opportunity to bring the country together in a way that could have reshaped the campaign narrative. "The campaign failed to really take that moment and bring the country together,” Dans said, comparing the potential unity to what America experienced after 9/11. Instead of focusing on uniting the nation, Dans argues the campaign fumbled the moment, leaving Trump’s survival as a "grace of God” event rather than a rallying point for voters.

Election Integrity and Ground Game Failures

Dans didn’t shy away from addressing the failure of Trump’s team to organize a robust ground game and ensure election integrity. "Reports now coming out of the field are that we are outmanned on the order of four to one,” Dans said, criticizing the campaign’s weak get-out-the-vote operation. He noted that the Republican National Committee (RNC) continues to claim it has election integrity efforts under control, but “the reality is they don’t got this.” He stressed that protecting the vote is critical to Trump’s success, yet the campaign has fallen short in this area.

A Call for 2016 Veterans: Lewandowski, Conway, and Bannon

To turn the campaign around, Dans proposed that Trump should bring back key figures from his 2016 campaign, such as Corey Lewandowski, Ben Carson, and Kellyanne Conway. "We need to focus on critical issues, because it’s not personal,” Dans stated, emphasizing that the campaign’s failure is structural, not about individuals. He added that Steve Bannon, currently sidelined, needs to be involved in shaping the strategy. "We’re missing Bannon,” Dans remarked, underscoring his belief in Bannon’s importance to the campaign’s success.

Grassroots Call to Action: “You Are the Cavalry”

In a final call to action, Dans urged supporters to step up and fill the gaps left by the campaign’s disorganization. "There is no cavalry—you are the cavalry,” he said, encouraging grassroots volunteers to take control, organize, and ensure that the GOP is held accountable for its lack of preparation. With voting already underway, Dans stressed that immediate action is needed to secure Trump’s victory in 2024.

For more context, watch the full interview with Paul Dans, where he explains his ideas: