In the wake of the first GOP debate, former President Donald Trump not only held onto his lead, but he seems to have increased it. We're still far out, and anything can change, but Trump, in the face of being targeted by the left, only seems to be getting stronger. Not only is he still leading the primary field by 46 points, according to a Wall Street Journal poll this past week, but he's also neck and neck with Joe Biden in the general. That may mean that at least some of the Independents may be thinking the same way as the Republicans and believing that Trump is being unfairly targeted. 

That has people like political strategist and former DNC Chair Donna Brazile nervous. She explained that she'd only seen a couple of political movements previously in her life, such as the Reagan movement -- "They saw him as willing to stand up for American values, whatever that might have meant" -- and Barack Obama -- "Hope and change, that galvanized the American people." 

“I’ve never seen anything like this with Donald Trump… I mean, being indicted, that’s making him stronger, raising $10 million using a… mug shot... We have to respect the fact it’s a movement.”

Totally Correct — Thanks @DonnaBrazile! pic.twitter.com/UguQLC8rGl

— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) September 3, 2023

"I've never seen anything like this with Donald Trump," Brazile said. "I mean, what doesn't kill ya, makes ya stronger...Being indicted, that's making him stronger. Raising $10 million using an ugly mug shot...This is a movement, and anyone who thinks you can apply the old political rules to trying to defeat this candidate, based on he's scary, he's ugly, whatever you might want to call him, this is a movement, and we have to respect that fact that it's a movement." 

It's why they are throwing everything they have against him with lawfare. If they can't lock him up, they want to keep him off the ballot. If they can't block him off the ballot, they want to take up all his time defending these things so he can't campaign. If that doesn't work, they want to make him use all his resources to fight the charges. If that doesn't work, they want to smear him to the Independents so they won't vote for him. And if that doesn't work, what will they try next? 

She's suggesting you can't use conventional means to beat him. What is she suggesting as an alternative? We're already seeing them engaging in "unconventional means..."

George Stephanopoulos said he was shocked that Biden and Trump were essentially tied in polling. 

“It is kind of shocking in a way that, despite all of the baggage Donald Trump carries, he’s tied with Joe Biden right now” – @GStephanopoulos. @donnabrazile frets “young black and Latino voters are not...looking at” the Democratic messaging being sent to them. #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/XZaYHTIRKi

— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 (@BrentHBaker) September 3, 2023

“It is kind of shocking in a way that, despite all of the baggage Donald Trump carries, he’s tied with Joe Biden right now,” Stephanopolous said. 

For several reasons. A lot of that baggage is Democrat smearing, and a lot of people get it. Trump's policies were better than those of Biden. Biden has been horrible, particularly on the economy. People lived through it, they know, and they feel it in their wallets. They can see the direct comparisons. On top of that, many also see the deterioration of Biden right in front of their eyes and know he's incoherent and cannot be trusted. If you're looking at that choice, even if you're not a Republican, that's a choice that wouldn't go well for Biden. 

Then Brazile throws in one more element that they're concerned about -- that they may not have enough of the young black and Latino voters "ready to come back" to the Democratic party, as she said. She's right. If Democrats lose any significant percentage of that voting bloc, they could be in big trouble. 

It's hard to know what the morrow may bring, but it looks like the Democrats are starting to sweat big time.