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GOP Chief: Trump, Others Must Pledge Loyalty to Eventual 2024 Nominee

    GOP Chief: Trump, Others Must Pledge Loyalty to Eventual 2024 Nominee
    Last updated Feb 27, 2023
    Image credit: POLITICO

    Facts

    • According to Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, the GOP intends to ask candidates vying for the party's nomination to pledge support for the eventual winner — with those who refuse not being allowed to participate in party-sponsored debates.
    • McDaniel revealed the party's intention on CNN's "State of the Union" show on Sunday, stating that the pledge was a requirement in 2016 and that the idea is a "no-brainer" for 2024.
    • While former Pres. Trump has not reacted publicly to the comments, in an interview earlier this month he claimed that his potential support would "depend on who the nominee was." A Trump spokesperson also said he will support the nominee simply because "it will be" Trump himself.
    • McDaniel affirmed that Republicans can't keep "attacking each other" to the extent that they lose sight of their goal of beating Democrats. Highlighting the importance of supporting the will of the voters, she said she "expect[s]" the pledge to be a criterion to run for the nomination, among other requirements yet to be finalized.
    • So far, Trump, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are the most prominent GOP candidates to enter the race. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, among others, are also expected to join the race.
    • The RNC is considering between 10 and 12 debates from as many as 18 media outlets due to begin this summer. Additional criteria are believed to include a new donor threshold as well as a polling threshold of either 1% or 2%.

    Spin

    Democratic narrative

    Republicans have consistently, and foolishly, capitulated to Trump's desires since 2016. Because of this, the failure of his influence led to far fewer Congressional seats than expected last November. Though the party is trying to turn this into an opportunity to exercise its own autonomy and Trump may be more vulnerable than ever before, it's hard to believe that he will now suddenly abide by his fractured party's demands.

    Republican narrative

    In order to finally break loose from the Democrats' woke stranglehold on the American people and bring the country back to a place of sanity, it is essential that the GOP remains united, no matter who wins the nomination. Whether it's Trump, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, or any other potential candidate, the party is strongest when it gets behind a single leader.

    Narrative C

    This move by McDaniel once again highlights the chairwoman's total obliviousness. Such a decision is a lame attempt to pave over the party's stark distinctions and, in reality, GOP members will support whoever serves their interests best. The most important factor will be how quickly voters break either for Trump or a rival and how quickly this will take, regardless of McDaniel's attempts to coerce candidates into what she wants.

    Nerd narrative

    There is a 45% chance that Trump will be the Republican nominee for the 2024 US Presidential Election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

    Political split

    LEFT

    RIGHT

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