Few Republicans seek to challenge Trump due to support from base

While most media attention is on the Democratic primaries, the Republican primaries are also underway with only the slightest challenge to President Donald Trump.

As a campaign strategy, President Donald Trump is touting the economic successes of his first term.

According to The New York Times, his poll numbers are similar to the past three presidents as they looked for re-election.

His campaign focuses on appealing to swing states and moderates while maintaining his base.

The New York Times reported, on the one hand, many of his Facebook ads emphasize his polarizing immigration policies, appealing to his “hard-core supporters.” On the other hand, Mr. Trump is using ads focused on criminal justice reform, first aired during the Super Bowl, to recruit moderate voters.

According to an October 2019 poll on the Republican primaries by The Economist and YouGov, Mr. Trump dominates the race polling at 86% followed by Bill Weld at 3% and Joe Walsh, who dropped out on Feb. 7, at 2% with the rest undecided.

Mr, Weld is a former two-term Massachusetts governor and 2016 vice-presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party. In January 2019, Weld rejoined the Republican Party, announcing his candidacy a month later.

“Here’s where I stand on the issues. I’m an old-fashioned Republican — I believe in a well-run economy, a pragmatic foreign policy, and moderation on social issues,” he said on his campaign website.

Although Weld is officially still running, Republicans in South Carolina, Kansas, Nevada and Arizona have canceled their primaries due to what they believe is a clear winner.

In the Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump won 97% of the vote with both Walsh and Weld getting around 1%.

Both challengers, however, insist that this is part of an effort to silence their campaigns and push Republicans towards Trump.

“Cowards run from fights,” they added, in a thinly veiled jab at Trump during a joint press statement on the cancellation of the primaries. “Warriors stand and fight for what they believe. The United States respects warriors. Only the weak fear competition.”