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Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), was confronted by a Fox News host on Sunday about what effects Donald Trump might continue to have on the GOP electorally.
Trump is seeking a second term in the White House and is currently the leading contender for the 2024 Republican nomination, despite his mounting legal battles and potential competition from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. A poll conducted by NBC News earlier this month found that 46 percent of Republican voters supported Trump for the nomination, compared to 31 percent for DeSantis, who has yet to declare his candidacy. Other candidates included in the poll, like former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, garnered single-digit support.
While Trump remains popular among a segment of the GOP base, some evidence continues to mount that his influence on the party is toxic among voters overall. A slate of election-denying candidates endorsed by Trump in numerous key states lost their races during the most recent midterm elections, leading many to question his continued leadership at the top of the party.
During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, host Shannon Bream asked McDaniel about the continued influence that the former president will have on the GOP, in light of recent reports claiming that the RNC's investigation into what caused the party's poor performance in the midterms does not mention Trump. A Washington Post article from Wednesday about this development noted that observers said this omission made the report "incomplete at best."
"The former president is clearly the biggest voice in the room for the party," Bream said. "He had great sway in getting candidates through the primaries that didn't do well in the general, missed the chance to retake the Senate. How can you break down 2022 without talking about that president?"
In response, McDaniel claimed that outlets like the Post could not have a final draft of the report, as one has not yet been completed, before more directly addressing the question.
"The biggest takeaway we're taking is independents did not break our way, which has to happen if we're going to win in 2024, which usually, that's what causes that 'red wave,'" McDaniel said. "And abortion was a big issue in key states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, and so the guidance we're going to give to our candidates is that you have to address this head-on. The Democrats spent $360 million on this, and many of our candidates refused to talk about it thinking, 'Oh, we can just talk about the economy and ignore this big issue.'"
McDaniel did not address how the former president's influence might have swayed independent voters away from voting Republican last year. Bream also pushed back on her latter point, noting how some Republicans have struggled to adequately address the issue of abortion even when discussing it outright. She also later discussed Trump's continued attack on the legitimacy of the voting methods, which she suggested could "damage" the party moving forward into 2024.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's press team via email for comment.
About the writer
Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more