Republicans fuming at Trump and Vance over 'setback' in drive to woo new voters

A change in campaign strategy by Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. J.D. Vance has some Republicans alarmed and angry with the election looming and time running out.

According to a report from Politico's Mia McCarthy and Meredith Lee Hill, the initial plan was for Vance to hit the campaign trail and try and draw in moderate Republicans who were balking at the idea of another Trump presidency as well as independent voters.

As the report notes, that was exactly how the campaign began after the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, but things have taken a turn as the campaign has embraced immigrant bashing as a central theme that has not only derailed earlier plans, but has created a firestorm of criticism from both sides of the aisle.

ALSO READ: 'I want Vance to apologize': We went to Springfield and found community hurt — and divided

According to Politico, Vance kicked off his first national campaign by sitting down "with liberal podcast hosts and conservative commentators alike, "while making the rounds on "all five Sunday shows" and chatting up reporters.

However, those efforts have hit a "setback" with the immigrant-bashing centering on attacks on Haitian immigrants in Vance's home state of Ohio, with the VP nominee leading the charge much to the annoyance of GOP lawmakers and campaign strategists.

As Politico is reporting, that change is strategy has "alarmed some Republicans who want the campaign to focus on their opponent Harris and the state of the economy, a top issue for both parties ahead of November."

GOP strategist Ryan Horn cut right to the chase and complained, "They need to get their heads out of their asses and get dead-set focused on the swing voters. And stop paying attention to what their base is saying online.”

A GOP Senate aide added, "It undercuts our message, certainly."

"Vance’s media strategy was intentionally designed to appeal to undecided voters in the center by drawing a contrast between Trump’s campaign and Harris’ operation, according to a person close to the campaign who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the strategy," Politico is reporting. "But while the Ohio GOP senator still speaks about the border or the economy, issues that Trump’s side says Harris is vulnerable on, Democrats are now hammering him and the former president on the pet [eating] claims."

Noting that Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) has urged his colleagues to dial back "spreading unfounded theories and claims based off of posts on Facebook," Politico's report added, "Vance and his allies, however, have continued their attacks over the pet-eating claims, which began to gain steam last week and then became a national issue when Trump, during his debate with Harris on Tuesday, brought it up. Vance has pointed to unverified videos and police audio of Haitian migrants stealing geese, obtained by the conservative leaning outlet The Federalist, as evidence that their claims are true."

You can read more here.