Veteran Republican strategist Karl Rove has asserted that the Republican party needs to maintain focus on its messaging as the midterm elections approach, criticizing President Donald Trump and the White House for diverting attention with "extraneous stuff."
"I mean, we need to stay focused. And this starts at the White House and it starts with the president’s political operation," Rove stated on a recent episode of Brian Kilmeade’s radio show on Fox News. "And they’ve got plenty of good material."
Rove’s comments come after he faced backlash for announcing he would vote for a Democratic candidate against Bo French, a Republican candidate who had made a controversial post. Rove described French as "bigoted" and warned that the Republican party has been "infiltrated" with "conspiracy nuts," suggesting such figures should be removed. These remarks led to threats and criticism from Trump, who labeled Rove a "stone cold loser" and a "RINO."
Trump's approval ratings are reportedly impacting Republican campaigns, with concerns raised about his handling of the economy and the Iran war. Rove expressed apprehension about the "messaging of the Republican effort," noting a lack of clear messages defining what the party stands for and what it opposes. He lamented that the party has "wasted a lot of time on unessential things" over the past month.
"What has the last month been? We started off with the Trump dividend. We had the son getting the party paid for by the Russians. We got the president saying the Iranians were ready for a deal. And six days later, he says, ‘I’m going to maybe annihilate them,’" Rove recounted. He advised that "Team Trump needs to have a message of the day that it pushes every day and stops as much of this extraneous stuff."
He further elaborated on the distractions, citing examples such as the president demanding recognition for the Kennedy Center and discussing the acquisition of drones and sniper ammunition, questioning the intended targets of such weaponry. Rove believes the party needs to concentrate on its core objectives to avoid jeopardizing its electoral chances.