Staff Reports
The circus that is the 2024 elections just took another wild turn, with former President Trump unleashing his characteristic bluntness on Steve Garvey, the former baseball player turned Senate hopeful. Trump, always a fan of mixing sports with politics (after all, who doesn’t want their politicians to be able to call a home run?), suggested that Garvey’s lack of experience in the political realm could very well gift Rep. Adam Schiff—a man not exactly known for being a “straight shooter”—an easy path to victory.
In a wide-ranging interview, Trump didn’t hold back on his assessment of Schiff, labeling him a “lunatic” and a “total sleazebag.” It’s almost as if Trump decided there was no need to sugarcoat his feelings; instead, he hit the gas and zoomed down the expressway of colorful insults. According to Trump, Schiff poses a greater threat to America than foreign adversaries like Russia or China, dubbing him “the enemy from within.” Because what’s more dangerous than a foreign nation? A politician with a bewildering number of committee meetings under his belt.
I've been hearing that Garvey didn't grovel to him for his endorsement. So I just looked it up & it says here that Trump said that if Garvey wants his endorsement then he has to call him. https://t.co/gHsupbhXtO
— Melanie (@mheinz16) October 14, 2024
Garvey’s campaign is hanging on by a thread, and with Trump’s tendency to roast anyone who doesn’t fall in line, there’s a real risk that Garvey could go down faster than the Dodgers in the postseason. While Garvey may be used to Trump’s jabs, it’s visibly unnerving for someone trying to secure a foothold in the political game. Schiff, recognizing a golden opportunity, is likely mapping out strategies to use Trump’s words to rally support. In California, who wouldn’t want to align with a “spirited” response to the former president?
In classic Trump fashion, he has also made it abundantly clear that his endorsement of Garvey won’t come easily. The former president professed that Garvey needs to make the rounds to the MAGA faithful before he can even think of winning. Garvey appears to have missed the memo on engaging with the base, which is like trying to win a baseball game without learning how to swing a bat. With the race in California being notoriously tight (and not in a good way), ignoring the base is a rookie mistake that Garvey will probably regret more than a botched catch on the field.
Garvey’s campaign is struggling. It features a lack of the usual fanfare typical of Republican campaigns, like skipping major conventions and avoiding the spotlight of regional rallies. Instead, he appears to be chasing after Latino voters and sweet-talking local news outlets like he’s in a one-man show. Despite outpacing Schiff in fundraising during select months, Garvey still finds himself deep in the red financially—and with a recent poll showing Schiff ahead by a staggering 20 points, it’s like Garvey has become the underdog nobody’s rooting for.
In the most recent debate, Garvey attempted to flip the script on Schiff, casting him as yet another career politician with nothing substantial to show for decades in the game. However, it’s tough to outmaneuver someone who has spent more years in D.C. than some people spend in school. Garvey’s quips about Schiff’s obsession with Trump and lack of home-state concern might resonate on some level, but Schiff’s grasp of the political scene could be the turning point that leaves Garvey on the sidelines. It remains to be seen whether Garvey can find a way to score a political victory or if he’ll simply strike out with the voters.
