Republicans Urge Trump To Drop Conspiracy Theories & Insults

After President Joe Biden‘s departure and Vice President Kamala Harris’s rise to the top of the ticket, Republicans have grown increasingly concerned as former President Donald Trump intensifies personal attacks and conspiracy theories, with donors and allies fearing that his inability to focus on policy is undermining his ability to challenge Harris’s momentum.

Trump allies have argued that his conspiratorial messages and racist insults are counterproductive and have urged him to shift his focus to policy issues, such as immigration and the economy, instead of personal attacks against Harris.

Since Biden withdrew from the race, Trump has targeted popular Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a crucial state for him, accused Harris of concealing her racial identity and promoted rightwing conspiracy theories, such as falsely claiming that “nobody” attended Harris’ Michigan rally despite evidence of thousands in attendance.

“Stop questioning the size of crowds and start questioning her position,” argued former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a Fox interview this week.

Trump advisers have noted that many of those promoting these theories have direct access to the former president, either by calling him directly or speaking with him at Mar-a-Lago and his other clubs.

At a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump unfoundedly claimed that the crowd at his January 6, 2021 rally was comparable to Martin Luther King Jr.’s during the 1963 March on Washington.

Conservative radio host Steve Deace said in a statement that “the double-edged sword of Donald Trump as your standard bearer is that at any time he can disrupt narratives that could crush Republicans and at any time can constrict a narrative that’s self-destructive.”

“Donald Trump repeating talking points and campaign pitches would undermine his brand,” Deace added, “But he definitely needs to be more focused.”

Similarly, Trump ally Larry Kudlow stated in a recent interview, “Don’t wander off, don’t call her stupid and all kinds of names, stay on message.”

Kellyanne Conway, who joined Trump in the White House after his 2016 victory, said in a statement, “The winning formula for President Trump is very plain to see – It’s fewer insults, more insights, and that policy contrast.

Last Monday, after returning to X following his 2021 ban for a live interview with Elon Musk, Trump spent most of the two-hour conversation discussing baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen, commenting on Harris’ Time magazine cover and attacking Biden.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung argued that the former president stayed on message during his interview with Musk, stating that Trump “prosecuted the case against Kamala Harris for over two hours yesterday in a record-breaking conversation on X Spaces.”

“He spoke about how weak, failed, and dangerously liberal the Kamala-Walz ticket is, the most radical in American history,” said Cheung.

Article by Riley Flynn