In a leaked conference call obtained by politico, Republican donors are seen giving controversial advice to the party representatives.
This week, Politico uncovered a recording in which Republican mega donor and casino mogul Steve Wynn reportedly provided some advice on how to reframe the party’s message in an effort to regain control of the Senate by reinforcing false claims that the Democratic Party has bad tax policies.
Wynn suggested “hard-hitting” ads with scripts like “They’re coming after you if you’re a waiter, if you’re a bartender, if you’re anybody with a cash business… they’re coming after you” during a conference call hosted by the Republican National Committee on Wednesday. The party is attempting to score major donors amid internal concerns that the party’s Senate chances are dimming.
The senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center, Steve Rosenthal, told the Washington Post that Wynn’s proposed messaging is similar to GOP attacks on increased funding for the Internal Revenue Service, which Republican lawmakers have comprehensively deprived of resources for years, providing a significant relief to wealthy tax-evaders and large corporations.
This controversial advice from Wynn comes as Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, appealed to prominent contributors, urging them to support the party’s attempts to flip the Senate amidst growing worries inside the party over its candidates’ low fundraising totals and its overall chances.
Politico obtained a tape of a 36-minute conference call in which McDaniel claimed that the GOP has formidable Senate candidates and an advantageous political climate. But she continued, saying that Democrats are outspending Republicans in the race for campaign contributions. McDaniel claims that when the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June, there was a flood of internet payments to the opposition.
However, according to Republican officials every few months the RNC reportedly arranges similar conversations to inform its large donors of new developments concerning the elections and their candidates. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other prominent Republicans have been working to bridge the budget gap, which prompted the appeal. In August, McConnell reportedly spent a lot of time calling potential contributors to ask for donations.
These leaks indicate that the GOP is scrambling to bridge the budget gap between them and the democrats as they continue to be outspent. Concerns and doubts over the senate race within the party seem to cast a shadow on the financial security of their election campaigns. Donors are worried whether the candidates in the race are strong contenders in the first place, given McConnell’s own doubts about their potential victory.
