Candidate Donald Trump scored what appears to be an ‘own goal’ against his candidacy earlier this evening when he told supporters at a campaign rally in West Virginia not to vote for him.
“Now what I want you to do is save your vote,” Trump told the crowd in Charleston, West Virginia. “You know, you don’t have to vote anymore. Save your vote for the general election, OK? Forget this one, the primary is gone.” (link)
Immediately social media erupted with people trying to figure out what’s going on. Two hours later the confusion has only amplified exponentially as no-one associated with the Trump campaign is trying to clear up the mixed-messaging.
The West Virginia offices of the campaign are in a stunned state of panic and internal confusion. No up-stream national Trump campaign officials are making any efforts to clarify the matter, and the campaign workers in West Virginia are unable to explain what’s going on.
Do West Virginians need to vote next Tuesday?
Why would Donald Trump tell mountaineers to stay home?
No-one is quite sure?
There are instructions on the Trump Website including a voter aid card (pictured below) outlining who to vote for.
However, with the candidate announcing to a massive (28,000) West Virginia audience their votes are no longer needed, there is understandable confusion.
This type of horrible messaging, and even worse communications, does not make the Trump organizational camp look good or capable of running a national campaign. It certainly feeds into a media narrative of ineptitude on the vary basics of campaign 101.
Do voters need to vote?
Was this a subliminal message to tell voters to support Bernie Sanders?
What the heck was Donald Trump talking about?
…Stay tuned, I guess…
Update 11:19pm: Donald Trump Tweets:
Thank you West Virginia. Let's keep it going. Go out and vote on Tuesday – we will win big. #Trump2016
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2016