Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele has issued a stark reality check for anti-Donald Trump Republicans.
“I will repeat once again, for all those who think otherwise, Donald Trump will be the nominee of this party until someone decides that they’re prepared to lose this primary in order to win a general election and beat Joe Biden,” Steele warned on Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The Beat.”
“That clamoring sound you hear is the donor and establishment political class saying we need someone in this race now,” Steele said later in the interview, but he then added: “My submission to all of them is, ‘Y’all too late. Y’all too late.’”
Steele said that, had he still been at the RNC, he would have gotten members to decide which one candidate they wanted to back to go after Trump and then put all resources behind them.
The party “has leverage” to shape the outcome, he said, but currently isn’t using it amid Trump’s rising in the polls and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) faltering campaign launch.