DNC assigns full-time staffer to Trump
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has appointed a full-time staffer to handle all DNC responses to Donald Trump — a signal the group is now treating Trump as a serious contender for the GOP’s 2016 presidential nomination.
The employee is responsible for countering Trump’s media statements and working against his Oval Office bid, The Guardian said Saturday.
The DNC is only devoting its human resources to campaigns it considers especially threatening next election cycle.
{mosads}The organization is currently targeting nine out of the 17 GOP presidential contenders with full-time opposition staffers.
The DNC’s Trump watchdog also monitors New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the report added.
Next year’s GOP presidential fields is one of the most crowded in recent memory.
The DNC is reportedly using full-time staffers for Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.), Govs. John Kasich (Ohio) and Scott Walker (Wis.) and former Govs. Jeb Bush (Fla.) and Rick Perry (Texas), in addition to Christie and Trump.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Gov. Bobby Jindal (La.), former Govs. Mike Huckabee (Ark.), George Pataki (N.Y.) and Jim Gilmore (Va.), former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.) and private citizens Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina are not getting the same attention.
Saturday’s report comes as Trump is surging in national polls.
A Quinnipiac survey released Thursday had the New York business mogul as the top pick among potential Republican voters next year.
Trump nabbed 20 percent in the sampling, easily the best showing of any GOP 2016 contender.
Walker trailed the reality television star with 13 percent, while Bush took third at 10 percent.
Polling victories like these likely ensure Trump is headlining next week’s first GOP presidential debate on Fox News.
The network is putting the top ten candidates into the Thursday debate based on an average of national polling results as of Tuesday.
Candidates who don’t make the top-ten cut will appear in a smaller event on Fox News earlier Thursday.
Trump has repeatedly hogged the media spotlight since formally launching his campaign in June.
His celebrity, wealth and controversial antics have drowned out other 2016 candidates.
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