Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Sunday said she’s “absolutely not” resigned to losing the House on Election Day, saying candidates have a winning message despite a surge of enthusiasm among Democrats and President Trump’s suggestion he’ll “figure it out” if his rivals take the chamber.
“They’re making more money. More jobs are coming back. That is a great closing argument in a lot of these Houses races that are within the margin of error,” Ms. McDaniel told ABC’s This Week. “And [voters are] going to say Republicans have offered a record of results and Democrats are offering resistance and going back.”
Ms. McDaniel also defended a closing-argument ad from Mr. Trump that features an illegal immigrant, Luis Bracamontes, smiling and laughing in court as he is convicted of killing two police officers in 2014.
The twice-deported immigrant from Mexico came back to the U.S. to commit his crimes. The advertisement also compares his case to the caravans of migrants moving toward the U.S. border from Central America, and blames Democrats for lax border security, infuriating Mr. Trump’s opponents.
“I think the president is highlighting a failure in our immigration system, that this disgusting person got into our country twice under a Democrat and a Republican president,” Ms. McDaniel said.
ABC host George Stephanopoulos said it appeared to be the kind of message that could scare off suburban GOP voters needed to hold the House, but the GOP chairwoman said Mr. Trump is wielding a balanced message.
“The president is talking about all of the accomplishments,” she said. “I think the media is focused on immigration constantly, and I get that. But he’s focusing on economy, he’s talking about the jobs.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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