Axelrod: Trump not 'closing well'

Democratic strategist and CNN contributor David Axelrod argued that former President Trump is not “closing well” as he and Vice President Harris address voters in last-minute messages before Election Day.

“He is actually abetting her message in the final week, that’s going to make Republicans uncomfortable. I’m sure they would love him to stay tethered to that prompter a bit more and deliver the message that they think will help him win this election,” Axelrod said on CNN. “But he’s not closing well. She’s closing in a much more disciplined way.”

Both Trump and Harris have jumped around to the seven key swing states in the final days of their campaigns.

Trump made headlines Sunday for saying he would not “mind” a person shooting “through the fake news” at a rally, which his campaign clarified. He also sparked backlash late last week when he described former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) having guns “trained on her face” while criticizing her foreign policy and calling her a "war hawk."

Meanwhile, Harris pledged to be a “president for all Americans” in her final campaign ad and delivered a speech at the Ellipse on the National Mall emphasizing unity. Her speech was soon overtaken in the news cycle by comments from President Biden that appeared to refer to Trump supporters as "garbage," and the vice president distanced herself from the remark.

Axelrod, who served as chief strategist for former President Obama, has at times been critical of Harris's electoral prospects, calling Trump a “pretty substantial favorite” in July. After the vice president’s CNN town hall last month, Axelrod said Harris sometimes took too long to explain her answers on questions and she spoke in a “word salad.”

Axelrod noted the vice president has been criticized throughout her short-lived campaign for “being too cautious,” but spoke highly of her closing message to voters.

“Being disciplined in these final 72 hours is really an advantage. If you’re on your message, being undisciplined can be very damaging and so we’ll see how that all works out,” he said.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.