Trump’s campaign plan questioned

CONCORD, N.H. — In a state where early organization is key to a successful presidential campaign, Donald Trump’s New Hampshire operation has the trappings of a legitimate political organization.

He’s got seven full-time staffers in New Hampshire, a sprawling office space in Manchester with walls displaying Trump photos and quotations, and a schedule that’s put him in front of hundreds of voters in the first primar y state. As well: nine people working for him in Iowa, six in South Carolina, 15 people based in New York City, a number of policy consultants, a treasurer and a lawyer who specializes in ballot access issues. He’ll be back in New Hampshire for a rally Thursday.

Campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who exhibits more than a little of the bravado of his boss, says the campaign stacks up against any other. “We have met or exceeded ever y metric, ever y expectation of what a campaign should look like,” he said. “These other campaigns — ones that don’t have to prove themselves like we do — cannot compete with a Trump campaign.”

By comparison, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has six staffers in New Hampshire, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie each have four. Christie has two staff members and a senior adviser in Iowa, and no staff in South Carolina, his campaign said.

But aside from hiring people and hosting carefully crafted events, Trump has yet to begin other vital campaign effor ts such as debate preparation. Republican obser vers here question whether Trump has the wherewithal — or plans — to sustain the kind of campaign New Hampshire voters will expect when his luster begins to wear off.