Trump advisers are talking about holding events in Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta with Black leaders as they try to realign American politics and peel away Democratic voters, according to the Associated Press. Trump’s campaign has fired its coalitions director and has yet to name a replacement, GOP minority outreach offices around the country have closed and been replaced by businesses including a check-cashing store, an ice cream shop and an adult toy store, and campaign officials acknowledge that they are still weeks away from launching any targeted programming. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has been embroiled in a series of personal and legal controversies and there are signs of frustration on the ground, where Republicans believe Trump has a real opportunity to change the election by cutting into President Joe Biden’s advantage with Black voters. “The Republican Party, to be honest with you, does not have a cohesive Black engagement plan,” Darrell Scott, a Black pastor who served as a senior adviser on Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns, told the AP. “What you have is you have conservatives in communities of color who have taken it upon themselves to lead their own initiatives,” Scott said. In Michigan, a critical battleground state that flipped from Trump to Biden four years ago, several party officials acknowledged that the Republican National Committee, which was overhauled by Trump allies after he won the nomination in March, has yet to open any minority outreach community centers. Office space to house the centers has been offered by community members, but staffing has been an issue, said Oakland County GOP Chairman Vance Patrick. “We’ve got all the carts, but we don’t have the horses yet, so it’s just a matter of making sure when we open these offices that we have people to staff them,” Patrick said. On-the-ground political organizing has long been a hallmark of successful presidential campaigns, which typically invest heavily in identifying potential supporters and ensuring they vote. The task could be even more critical this fall, given the number of voters who are energized by the Biden-Trump rematch. Trump’s campaign hired a national coalitions director in October 2023, nearly a year after he launched his campaign, but Derek Lyons stepped down in March without explanation, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Lyons did not return multiple requests for comment, and no replacement has been announced. Trump advisers dismiss criticism that they are not organizing or spending enough to reach out to minority voters. James Blair, the campaign’s political director, said he would not “telegraph” their spending or staffing levels but asserted that “it is sufficient to ensure that President Trump’s historic gains in support among Black and Hispanic voters will continue in November and beyond.” Lynne Patton, a senior campaign adviser who oversees coalition outreach and has worked closely with the Trump family for decades, said the Trump political operation is laying the groundwork for a robust minority outreach program, albeit largely behind the scenes. Also Read: Trump’s company has already lost 30% on the stock exchange since it started trading (Portuguese version)