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

(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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."

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

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.