Top Trump Adviser Declares 2024 Election Far from Decided Until Inauguration Day

A top Trump campaign official asserted on Thursday that the 2024 presidential race won’t conclude until Inauguration Day, not Election Day. Chris LaCivita made the statement at a Politico event, highlighting former President Donald Trump’s previous refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election, which culminated in the violent January 6 Capitol attack.

LaCivita’s comments come amid allegations from the U.S. Department of Justice that Trump and collaborators produced false elector slates in seven states post-Election Day 2020. These were allegedly intended to be submitted to Vice President Mike Pence during the congressional certification in January.

“It’s not over until Inauguration Day,” LaCivita emphasized during his talk with Politico’s Jonathan Martin at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. He insisted the campaign remains focused on issues like Social Security and border security.

LaCivita interrupted Martin’s question about Democratic prospects by reiterating that Trump’s campaign will be issue-oriented. Martin also asked if it was politically wise for Trump to campaign on pardoning the January 6 rioters, to which LaCivita responded by criticizing the press for frequently bringing up the topic.

Trump had previously told reporters he was open to cutting Social Security and other entitlement programs to address the national debt. Post-election, Trump continued to falsely claim election fraud, leading to numerous court challenges and the January 6 Capitol violence.

Trump faces a historic criminal indictment, including charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstructing an official proceeding. He has delayed the federal election subversion case by appealing his motion to dismiss based on presidential criminal immunity to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Reactions to an assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, varied at the RNC. Initially, it raised concerns about political violence, but later became a rallying symbol for his supporters. Trump’s co-campaign manager LaCivita and other officials remain noncommittal about addressing conspiracy theories about the incident.

Project 2025, a document by the Heritage Foundation, has been a significant point of discussion at the RNC. It outlines a plan for a presidential transition, government overhaul, and national abortion restrictions. Although some former Trump officials contributed to the project, LaCivita denied any official campaign connection, calling such claims “utter bulls—t.”