The Republican National Committee (RNC) has fired back at media outlets and Democrats, accusing them of distorting recent comments made by RNC Chairman Joe Gruters.
The controversy revolves around Gruters' remarks about the GOP's prospects in the 2026 midterm elections, which have been interpreted by some as overly pessimistic.
According to Western Journal, Andrew Egger, The Bulwarks White House correspondent, published an article last Friday featuring several of Gruters' comments. Among the statements attributed to Gruters were: Its not a secret. Theres no sugarcoating it. Its a pending, looming disaster heading our way.
Other remarks highlighted by Egger included Gruters' assertion that We are facing almost certain defeat, and The chances are Republicans will go down and will go down hard.
Egger's article suggested that such pessimistic assessments of Republicans' chances in the upcoming midterms were unexpected, especially coming from Gruters, a staunch Trump supporter and the current chair of the RNC. Egger wrote, This week, however, theyve been coming from someone way crazier: Joe Gruters, the Trump-diehard chair of the Republican National Committee, who has been barnstorming conservative radio this week.
In response to Egger's article, RNC Research, an account managed by the RNC, posted a rebuttal on social media. The post included longer versions of Gruters' remarks, which the RNC claimed provided a more accurate representation of his views.
The RNC Research account also responded to a post by the Democratic Party, which had shared a photo of Gruters with the quote We are facing almost certain defeat. The RNC Research account retorted, Heres the full quote you, scumbags: Gruters: I LIKE OUR CHANCES IN THE MIDTERMS but let me put in perspective only three times in the last hundred years has the incumbent party been successful winning a midterm. Were facing almost certain defeat. The only person who can bring the nose up and help us win is the President of the United States Donald J. Trump.
Gruters himself took to social media to accuse Democrats of attempting to undermine confidence in President Trump and the Republicans' agenda. He reiterated his belief in the GOP's chances in the midterms, stating, Whats true: The Party in power has only won the Midterms 3 times in the last 100 years. Whats true: The American people trust the President. Whats true: This country is better off with Republicans in charge. Whats true: We will win in 2026.
RNC spokeswoman Kiersten Pels also weighed in on the controversy, criticizing The Bulwark for publishing what she described as "stupid, desperate lies." She accused the outlet of manipulating a transcript of Gruters' remarks to remove the line: 'I like our chances in the midterms,' thereby creating a misleading narrative against Chairman Gruters.
Egger responded to Pels' accusations by suggesting that the RNC had deleted a recording of Gruters' remarks from their Soundcloud account. Pels countered by questioning why Egger had omitted the quote 'I like our chances in the midterms' from his transcript.
The Bulwark, which describes itself as a pro-democracy outlet, is often associated with the Never Trump movement. It's worth noting that midterm elections typically favor the party not currently occupying the White House. The last time an incumbent presidents party gained House seats in a midterm election was in 2002.
The ongoing controversy underscores the high stakes of the upcoming midterm elections and the intense scrutiny on the GOP's prospects. As the RNC and its chairman continue to navigate this political landscape, it's clear that every word will be closely examined and potentially used as ammunition in the battle for public opinion.
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