On Wednesday, the Washington Post reported on a call Republican National Committee head Rience Priebus made to Donald Trump, in which Trump was asked to “tone it down”. The RNC confirmed the subject matter of the call, which was described to the Washington Post by GOP donors as a polite discussion about Trump’s incredibly offensive immigration comments.
Not one to take a hint, Trump spoke to CNN today and denied the call was made out of concern over the effect the comments could have on the party’s image. Instead, Trump said it was a “really nice call, a congratulatory call” and claimed his comments wouldn’t cause any harm. His conversation with CNN came after a tweet made earlier this morning calling the Washington Post story a case of “false reporting“. Sources say Trump was explicitly told that the way illegal immigration is handled is very important to the party’s shot for winning the Hispanic vote. While Trump conceded that he was indeed asked to tone it down a little, his takeaway was that it was a congratulatory call made because the RNC is impressed with his performance in the polls. The RNC confirmed the version of events as relayed by the Washington Post and have declined to comment on Trump’s version of events, which is a pretty good indication as to which is right.
Trump’s comments are especially concerning to the GOP, who do not have a great track record with Hispanic voters. In 2012, the RNC commissioned a report to help them with a strategy to win a presidency. This report advised the party drastically change the way they handle issues like immigration within the Hispanic community. Trump’s comments fly in the face of that advice and have some party members concerned about his affect on party image. Still, two new polls have him placed first among registered Republican voters.
What do you think of Trump’s chances? Let us know in the comments!
Author
