Matt Schlapp told Newsmax on Monday that Ronna McDaniel, head of the Republican National Committee, will have her hands full in trying to enforce a loyalty pledge from 2024 presidential candidates to support the nominee in order for them to participate in debates.
In 2016, all 17 GOP presidential candidates signed a similar pledge to endorse the nominee. Schlapp, chair of the American Conservative Union, told “The Record With Greta Van Susteren” that was mostly done to prevent Trump from breaking off as a third-party candidate if he wasn't nominated.
“No one imagined that Trump would get the nomination, then he did,” Schlapp said. “And then you found other people on that stage, John Kasich, Jeb Bush and others, who wouldn't endorse Donald Trump.
“So, it was kind of this strange change, and I think Ronna McDaniel has a tough job. It's going to be a rancorous primary. How is she going to get them all back on the same page? I hope that can happen.”
There have been some Republicans, such as former U.S. Rep. and vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, who already have said they won’t even go to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee if Trump is the nominee.
“I’m looking at this race and I’m telling you Donald Trump will be the nominee,” Schlapp said. “I think it's very dangerous for people to say they won't be there.
“It’s a free country, do what you want, but it’s just kind of dumb. So what's Paul Ryan going to do, vote for the Democrat nominee, is he going to vote for Joe Biden? They're putting themselves in a bad position when you have two major parties.”
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