The head of the Republican National Committee says the challenges confronting Democrats this election cycle run far deeper than President Biden’s physical health.
Michael Whatley, who took over the RNC in March, said the intense focus on Mr. Biden’s cognitive decline discounts the depth to which the Democratic vision has turned off voters of all stripes.
“There’s not a single Democrat that they’re going to put in place of Joe Biden that’s going to change a single one of the policies that have absolutely crushed American families,” Mr. Whatley told The Washington Times in an interview Thursday.
Mr. Whatley said former President Donald Trump’s message on the economy and border is much more appealing to voters than anything Democrats offer.
Democrats will continue to struggle, he said, even if they swap out Mr. Biden for Vice President Kamala Harris or turn to a governor such as Gavin Newsom of California or Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
“If it was just the messenger, then the Democrats could switch him out and put somebody else in, but they can’t because it’s the message,” he said.
A former chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, Mr. Whatley said voters understand that Mr. Biden’s policies are to blame for “an invasion of our southern border” and inflation that has forced them to pay more money for gas, groceries and housing.
“It’s not just physical,” he said of the challenges facing Mr. Biden and other Democrats. “It is about the policies.”
Mr. Whatley and Lara Trump, Mr. Trump’s daughter-in-law and new RNC co-chair, will lead the way Monday when thousands of Republicans and a media mob converge on Milwaukee to start the Republican National Convention.
The weeklong event will feature a who’s who of Republican politics and culminate with Mr. Trump’s nomination.
Four months from Election Day, Mr. Trump has the wind at his back despite his recent conviction on 34 felony counts of paying hush money to an adult film actress ahead of the 2016 election.
Mr. Biden’s feeble debate performance has sent Democrats into a panic.
“I think the unity that we have among the Republican Party right now is as strong as we have seen in decades, certainly stronger than it was in 2016,” Mr. Whatley said. “The fact that [Mr. Trump] was able to clear the primary as early as he was is really helpful in terms of moving everybody to support him.
“Obviously, the meltdown that we’re seeing on the Democratic side of the aisle is making sure that everybody understands the true magnitude of this election cycle,” he said.
The story was different eight years ago at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Bad blood from the competitive primary and lingering concerns about Mr. Trump spilled over into raucous floor fights between pro- and anti-Trump factions.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was showered with boos at the convention for refusing to endorse Mr. Trump after their bruising primary battle.
The sense of togetherness for 2024 was on display this week when Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, released the delegates she won in the nomination race and urged them to support the presumptive Republican nominee. During the primary race, she warned that Mr. Trump could not win a general election.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is slated to speak at the convention after facing withering criticism and attacks from Mr. Trump when they faced off in the primary.
The process has created some friction.
Pro-life activists are upset with the Trump-inspired changes to the party platform that omits, among other things, the Republicans’ previous embrace of a ban on most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Asked what he hopes will be the No. 1 message voters will take from the national convention, Mr. Whatley said, “That Donald Trump is going to restore our southern border, he is going to restore our economy, and he is going to restore America’s place in the world.”
Mr. Whatley said the contrast between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump in the first presidential debate helped crystallize the race for voters and the convention will do the same.
“Our entire theme for this campaign comes down to strength versus weakness,” he said. “We have a very strong Republican candidate right now, a very weak Democratic candidate.”
He said the presidential race was at “an inflection point.”
“What you’re going to see is a completely unified Republican Party, and you’re going to see a candidate roll out his vision for America for not just the next four years but for the next several decades,” Mr. Whatley said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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