Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, stated on Sunday that the GOP’s presidential candidates for 2024 must directly address the abortion debate.
Driving the news: Following the conservative-dominated Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade last year, abortion became a crucial issue at the Midterm Elections. Democrats won crucial seats on platforms supporting abortion rights, and voters in three states approved protections for the procedure.
Republicans who had largely remained silent on the topic following the unfavorable midterm election results, despite talking points from significant GOP committees advising them to speak out on it, came under harsh criticism from anti-abortion organizations.
What they’re saying: “Abortion was a big issue in key states like Michigan and Pennsylvania,” said McDaniel during her appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”
“So the guidance we’re going to give to our candidates is you have to address this head on,” she added.
“The Democrats spent $360 million on this and many of our candidates across the board refused to talk about it, thinking, oh, we can just talk about the economy and ignore this big issue, and they can’t.”
McDaniel told anchor Shannon Bream Republican candidates should put Democrats “on the defensive and articulate where you stand.”
