Republicans tried to force Donald Trump to make a 2024 promise that put jaws on the ground

Donald Trump is running for re-election in 2024.

Not everyone in the GOP is happy about that.

And Republicans tried to force Donald Trump to make a 2024 promise that put jaws on the ground.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is trying to push through an official policy banning any GOP candidate from a primary debate unless they pledge to support the eventual nominee.

McDaniel’s maneuver came on the heels of Trump telling radio Hugh Hewitt “it would have to depend on who the nominee was” before Trump would commit to backing them.

Never-Trump RINOs are balking at this idea.

RINO former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson – who opposed legislation banning the chemical castration of children – admitted he did not want to give a blanket promise to endorse Trump.

“Historically, our party has not taken party loyalty oaths,” said Hutchinson. “For leaders such as myself who believe Donald Trump is not the right direction for the country — and I said specifically that Jan. 6 disqualified him — that would certainly make it a problem for me to give an across-the-board inclusion pledge.”

In an appearance on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast on January 20, McDaniel made a plea for party unity and mentioned Never-Trumpers threatening to withhold support from Trump if Trump won the nomination.

“We do need to come out of this primary united. And we have a lot of candidates running saying, ‘I’ll never support Trump,’ and if you are going to get on this debate stage, you are going to have to say, ‘I’m going to support the nominee,’” McDaniel declared. “We cannot have a rigorous debate process and come out with a nominee and have anyone say, ‘I’m walking away.’”’

But now what worries McDaniel and other establishment Republicans are poll numbers from Monmouth University showing 27 percent of GOP voters saying Trump should run as an independent if he loses the nomination.

That’s why McDaniel is pledging the RNC will stay neutral in the race while also trying to force the candidates to back the eventual nominee.

“The RNC will remain neutral during the Republican Presidential Primary and that’s why it is so important for the RNC to ensure a fair and transparent process for the 2024 Republican candidates to debate,” McDaniel told The Washington Post. “After the primary, it is imperative to the health and growth of our Republican Party, as well as the country, that we all come together and unite behind our nominee to defeat Joe Biden and the Democrats.”