Some Republicans believe presidential candidates not named Donald Trump are missing an opportunity to break through in a crowded primary field by not confronting the former president head-on.
Strategists agree any candidate will need to win over at least some Trump supporters to overcome the former president in the polls, and attacking him directly carries some risks.
But there is a belief with the first debate on the horizon that the likes of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) will need to more forcefully take on Trump if they want to shake up the race.
“We’ve seen some criticism of Trump depending on the candidate, but it’s usually been limited and it’s not been a situation where it’s taking on Trump directly,” said Doug Heye, a former spokesperson for the Republican National Committee. “If we continue to see a campaign where criticisms of Trump are either limited or mild, or candidates are quite happy to let the other person do it instead, then nothing is going to change.”
The contrasting styles were on display this week after Trump chastised Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) over whether she was remaining “neutral” in the lead-up to the state’s caucuses next January.
Haley and DeSantis were quick to defend Reynolds on social media, but neither one mentioned Trump. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R), meanwhile, defended Reynolds in a tweet and added, “America deserves better than Donald Trump.”
Several Republicans running for president have been cautious in their approach to Trump, often criticizing him indirectly.
DeSantis, who is running in second place in the vast majority of polls, has argued he will be able to finish the job in ways Trump didn’t during his first term in office, citing border wall construction and “breaking” the swamp.
DeSantis told Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that many voters have so far been focused on “some of these legal cases,” a reference to Trump without directly naming the former president — or acknowledging the unprecedented and historic nature of a former president facing indictment — and added he believed more voters would begin to pay attention to race during the first debate next month.
When DeSantis has attacked Trump directly, it has not always gone well. A rapid response account for his campaign last week shared a video aiming to attack Trump for his past supportive comments of the LGBTQ community. The video, which was eventually deleted, drew criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans.
Haley’s campaign has focused on calls for generational change in leadership atop the GOP, a nod to the desire among some to move on from Trump. But her attacks have frequently been directed at DeSantis, and her criticisms of Trump have typically been either indirect or come when prompted by reporters.
Scott, another South Carolinian, has centered his campaign message on his faith and his desire to push a positive conservative agenda that appeals to a broader swath of voters. But when pressed about differences between himself and Trump, the senator has typically praised the former president’s record.
Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who has seen modest gains in recent polls, responded to each of Trump’s two indictments this year by defending the former president and suggesting he would pardon Trump if elected to the White House.
Former Vice President Mike Pence has comparatively been more aggressive in going after Trump, though he has largely focused on policy differences. Pence has argued Trump has turned his back on conservative values, pointing to his stances on abortion and entitlements. He has also hit his former running mate for his praise of dictators, like Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump, meanwhile, has shown no reservations about attacking other candidates in the field, mocking Hutchinson as “Aida,” calling former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie a “total loser” and repeatedly hammering DeSantis on policy and personality.
“When post-mortems of the ‘24 GOP race are written: #1 will be the bad advice nearly all candidates got to not go after Trump,” Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump White House communications director, tweeted. “Fear of alienating Trump voters materialized in candidates failing to stand out in any real way, while also failing to weaken their chief opponent.”
Candidates face a difficult reality that they will likely need the support of at least some Trump backers to secure the party’s nomination. Experts said that means they will need to find a way to criticize the former president without alienating his base entirely.
“It’s got to be something along the lines of, ‘We agree with Trump’s policies and what he did as president, but it’s time to move on,’” said Tim Hagle, an associate professor at the University of Iowa. “But so far what we’ve seen is every time Trump gets indicted, he goes up in the polls.”
Trump has held steady in national polls even after he was indicted on federal charges last month, while candidates like Christie and Hutchinson are polling in the low single digits despite their willingness to take on Trump directly.
Christie’s campaign has been almost entirely centered on criticizing Trump and making the case that the former president does not have the character to serve again in the White House and is conning the public.
Hutchinson has similarly been willing to call out Trump by name, urging the former president to drop out of the race after being indicted on federal charges.
Christie and Hutchinson have been urging supporters to donate to their campaigns in the hopes of getting on the debate stage in August in what could be the best chance for candidates to set themselves apart from Trump or make an impression by attacking the former president.
“When we have the debate, and certainly when we’re past Labor Day when primary voters start paying attention, for there to be a change in the polls there has to be a change in the campaign,” Heye said.
Trump himself has said he is leaning toward skipping the debate, questioning why he should have to stand on stage with candidates polling in single digits who can take shots at him in the process.
Strategists argued Trump’s absence could give other candidates the opening they need to go after the former president, especially in an environment where Trump would be unable to counterpunch.
“Ultimately, Luke Skywalker had to confront Darth Vader,” Heye said. “He couldn’t sit back and hope the force was going to take care of it for him. And that’s where the Republican candidates are going to have to go.”