Michael Steele, who chaired the Republican National Committee from 2009 to 2011, has sharply criticized the ongoing GOP midterm convention, calling it "crazy land" and an "unmitigated mess."
Steele, now a host on MS NOW's "The Weeknight," explained his disapproval of the event, which he stated would not have occurred during his tenure. He specifically took issue with the party's approach to candidate support and resource allocation.
"I wouldn’t be doing this crap, I wouldn’t be doing this crap right now," Steele said, referring to the convention's apparent focus on consolidating support around former President Donald Trump. He also described the overall event as "stupid."
His critique centered on what he perceives as the party's inability to effectively support its candidates. Steele stated that he would not pull candidates from competitive districts where their presence is crucial, nor would he require them to spend their campaign funds to attend such an event.
"It speaks to the inability of the party to actually do what a party is supposed to do and build out a ground game and infrastructure and resources to help candidates win elections, particularly when they’re up against it in a situation where the titular head of the party just can’t get what he needs to get to deliver to the base," Steele explained. He suggested this approach indicates a failure in building the necessary infrastructure to help candidates succeed, especially when facing challenges and relying on a base that is difficult to mobilize.