Sunday, on ABC’s “This Week,” Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. said that if Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump “could win those Rust Belt states that are traditionally Democratic, he could win the election.”
Dionne added, “If there is a path for him, it’s in the Rust Belt and it’s with young voters not voting in the same — in the numbers that Hillary needs.”
Partial transcript as follows:
GUEST HOST MARTHA RADDATZ: OK. E.J., back to the principal question. You say that Trump has another strong argument that has led to wins in the Democratic states in the Rust Belt. What’s worked for him there, and how well did that play out?
DIONNE: Trade, trade, trade, indeed industrialization. And that’s his whole card. If he could win those Rust Belt states that are traditionally Democratic, he could win the election.
His problem is on Matt’s point, the country may say, we’re on the wrong track, but Barack Obama’s numbers have gone over 50 percent as he said last night. And if the — Barack Obama is doing that well in November, it’s going to be very hard for Trump to advance that argument.
And I think whatever he picks up among voters concerned about trade and those issues, he’s going to lose with those massive negative numbers he has among women. So I think his path is very difficult. But if there is a path for him, it’s in the Rust Belt, and it’s with young voters not voting in the same — in the numbers that Hillary needs. But he helps bring them out, by the way.
Follow Pam Key On Twitter @pamkeyNEN
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.