RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel says Republican candidates need to appeal to Independents in 2024

WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel on Sunday advised 2024 candidates to focus on Independent voters after the GOP failed to deliver a once-expected “red wave” in the 2022 midterm elections.

“I look at 2022 as the ‘Year of Independents,’” McDaniel told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. “In every single battleground state except Pennsylvania, a Republican won statewide – so we had more ticket splitting than we’ve ever seen.”

“So [in 2024], it really is going to be how do our candidates appeal to Independent voters?”

With Republicans overwhelmingly dug in behind former President Donald Trump and Democrats stubbornly – if unenthusiastically – supporting President Biden’s re-election, McDaniel’s advice may also be key to the 2024 primaries in states with open voting.

Her comments come after Trump, 77, declined to participate in the first televised 2024 Republican debate set for Wednesday in Milwaukee, instead opting to sit for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson set for the same night.

The interview is bound to pull the eyes of MAGA supporters, but the former president may be missing out on views from a critical base of undecided and Independent voters tuning into the debate.

Given McDaniel’s analysis, Trump’s strategic snub of the debate may not play out in his favor.

While current polls indicate 2024 may likely bring a 2020 election rematch between Trump and Biden, the Republican debate could shift the numbers.

“This is the beginning of the general election. I think a lot of families have been out in the summer, they’re getting their kids back in school, and now they’re dialing into the fact that we’re going to be electing a new president within a year,” McDaniel said.

“This is going to be that debate stage where we’re going to be able to tell what Republicans can do versus the failure of Joe Biden.”

With a flood of Republicans running against the former president, McDaniel said Wednesday’s debate will represent “the most diverse debate stage we’ve ever had as a party.”

“The Republican Party represents the diversity of America, despite what the mainstream media says,” the RNC chair said. “Our debate stage reflects that with [Sen.] Tim Scott, [former US Ambassador] Nikki Haley [and] Vivek [Ramaswamy.]”

However, it is unlikely that Trump could be booted so soon out of first place in the GOP polls, given his massive 41-point lead ahead of his nearest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who secured and averaged 14.5% support in the most recent RealClearPolitics poll analysis.

Ultimately, McDaniel said Republican candidates must focus their attention on highlighting difficulties the nation has faced under Biden, citing several key issues that would turn out more votes for the GOP.

“The average family has paid $10,000 more under Joe Biden, they’ve paid $2000 more in energy costs. Bidenomics is costing American families,” she said. “And they are hurting not just with that, [but] with fentanyl, with kids who still have deficits in school, with crime surging.”

“They are looking for a solution and this debate stage is going to give them that first glimpse of hope for 2024,” she added.