Tim Kaine is campaigning in red states just to 'mess with' Donald Trump


Idaho and Wyoming are not going to vote for Hillary Clinton this November; the states are about as red as they come. But that is not deterring Clinton's campaign from making a stop there in the form of vice presidential contender Tim Kaine.
But why put in the time? Why not send Kaine to a battleground state instead? Because Clinton wants to make Donald Trump nervous. Very nervous.
"There is no way that, even in a landslide, Idaho and Wyoming turn blue. [But] going to Idaho and Wyoming in the summer is not a bad idea to get fundraisers out of the way and mess with the Trump operation," Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray told Politico. "I could see this as a combination of, 'Why not go to Wyoming in the summer? It's where the rich people are [on vacation], you can do some fundraising there,' and a head fake against the Trump campaign, which doesn't seem to have an Electoral College strategy. So you could get them to spend resources in a place where they shouldn't."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Kaine has already visited North Carolina, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Missouri this week, and will be stopping in Sun Valley, Idaho, and Jackson, Wyoming, on Thursday. By Tuesday, Kaine will be in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Nashville, Tennessee.
Trump, meanwhile, has requested ad rates in Georgia, Arizona, Indiana, and Missouri, and hired operatives in South Carolina — all states which, in a normal election, would not need to be part of a Republican's defensive strategy.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats
-
Trump ties $20B Argentina bailout to Milei votes
speed read Trump will boost Argentina’s economy — if the country’s right-wing president wins upcoming elections