DNC chair says remaining candidates for GOP nomination are "ultra MAGA"
On the day of the first Republican nominating contest, a Democratic National Committee memo is painting the remaining Republican field as a group of politicians driven so far to the right by former President Donald Trump that none of them can win a general election.
"The competition for the MAGA base has resulted in the most extreme, far right GOP field in history," DNC chair Jamie Harrison said in a memo shared first with CBS News.
The memo offers a glimpse into the thinking of President Biden's allies as the GOP enters a critical stage of the 2024 election — and following a CBS News poll released Sunday that showed a higher percentage of likely voters nationwide in a general election choosing any of the three of the likely GOP nominees for president over Mr. Biden. In the poll, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley led by eight points, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by three and Trump by two over Mr. Biden.
Harrison argued, however, that while Trump has "reached new lows this cycle," Haley and DeSantis have been "jockeying to outdo Trump with his own base." He pointed specifically to anti-abortion laws that both candidates signed as governors of their respective states and both candidates' record of opposing the Affordable Care Act.
Incumbent candidates, such as Mr. Biden, typically have a built-in advantage. Among the reasons for that is the fact that over the course of a primary race, the winning candidate of the opposing party is often pulled further into the extremes of their respective party. Then, once that candidate has won the nomination, they need to convince members of the opposing party to vote for them in a general election.
"With each debate, town hall, and media appearance, the Republican contenders have doubled down on an agenda that is deeply out of touch with the American people," he wrote.
For his part, Trump has worked to ensure he maintains the loyalty of his base in spite of the promises made by his opponents.
"[DeSantis] and Nikki Haley will never secure a border and they'll never come close to it. It's only words," Trump said at a rally Sunday in Indianola, Iowa.
The impact of a more conservative GOP nominee will also affect down-ballot races, according to Harrison's calculation.
"Republicans' race for the MAGA base has left them saddled with unpopular policy positions that will weigh them down in a general election, and be a liability for down-ballot Republican candidates," he wrote.