Conducting a Last-Minute Interview with Donald Trump: A New Closing Message

As I exited my interview with Donald Trump, I was taken aback to see eight men in riot gear marching towards his Trump Tower office.

As Trump prepared to travel to Pennsylvania, the two assassination attempts served as a stark reminder.

I had been informed that he would employ the old Reagan phrase on Saturday night: "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?"

How long, I wondered, before he goes off script?

Trump informed me that he planned to visit Arnold Palmer's hometown in Pennsylvania.

He didn't know that he would use the S-word to describe Kamala Harris and describe the late golfer as "all man" and marvel at the supposed size of his male endowment.

The vice president and other critics have claimed that Trump appears exhausted, based on a second-hand quote, but I didn't notice any signs of fatigue when he spoke to me in a softer voice while we were standing close to each other in the library room of the tower.

I had a second meeting with the ex-president recently, and I questioned him on various topics. How could he describe Jan. 6 as a "day of love" when law enforcement was being assaulted? Despite the controversy surrounding the "60 Minutes" Kamala interview editing, would you attempt to revoke CBS's license? How could you label your political adversaries as "the enemy within"? Would you seek revenge? Will you confess the inaccuracy of the statement "they're eating the dogs, they're eating the cats"?

He dug in, even on that last one.

Steve Bannon stated, "Producers who watch us, including those at 'Morning Joe,' cannot have a constitutional republic if deep-staters continue to harm the country."

Kash Patel declares that they will search for conspirators in both government and media, and will pursue them legally or criminally based on evidence.

Now here’s the sense I’ve gotten from my reporting.

In the remaining two weeks before the election, Trump has decided on his final message, which centers on immigration and the economy. He may occasionally deviate by discussing Kamala's past job at McDonald's or using more vulgar language, but ultimately, his closing argument will revolve around these two topics.

The Trump campaign believes that one ad that has moved the numbers is Harris' past support for taxpayer funding for federal inmates to receive gender-reassignment surgery. Even Charlamagne Tha God questioned the validity of this in their interview. Harris claims she only followed the law, just as Trump did.

The former president is attempting to rebrand his initiative by pledging a New Golden Age, in response to Harris's promise of a New Way Forward. Both candidates are positioning themselves as the "change" candidate, with most voters viewing the country as off course - the incumbent versus the former incumbent.

I remember when Trump made a humorous comment about Kamala adopting a more moderate stance, saying, 'She's become MAGA. I'll send her a hat.'

Trump and his advisors are perplexed by what they perceive as Kamala Harris's inability to deliver a concluding message and gain the support of as many Black voters as Joe Biden did. While there is a focus on reproductive rights and warnings about Trump's instability, is there anything that unites all of these messages?

Recently, Trump has been asking makeup artists, among others, for their opinions, as a form of focus group, including the question, "Are you confident?"

The response he's been receiving: You'll win, but it will be a close call.