Donald Trump doesn't even have enough staff members to put one in each state

Much has been made about how unprepared Donald Trump is for a general election — and then his campaign revealed Friday that it estimates there are only about 30 paid Trump staffers on the ground nationwide.

Taylor West, who worked on the campaign for failed Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd in 2008, said that 30 paid operatives was how many her candidate had in Iowa alone:

Trump is counting on Republican Party-led state-based efforts to win the general election, despite the fact that many in the Republican establishment are fairly skeptical about Trump as their nominee. Nevertheless, one aide defended Trump's decision to The Associated Press by saying, "We are creating the playbook."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Hillary Clinton began putting state-level directors in swing states in April.