Republicans Will Try To Out-MAGA Each Other During Debate
Talking Points:
- It doesn’t matter who “wins” the debate on Wednesday; the Republican presidential candidates have all chosen a losing strategy that is extreme, MAGA, and out of touch with the American people.
- MAGA Republican candidates want to ban abortion across the country, support gutting Social Security and Medicare, support tax giveaways to the wealthy and big corporations, choose the NRA over our kids, and defend attacks against our democracy.
- These are all deeply unpopular positions in a general election, and not how you earn the support of the voters needed to win in 2024 – it’s a losing strategy in 2024, just like it was in 2020 and 2022.
- While the MAGA candidates try to out-MAGA each other and ignore the issues that are top of mind for Americans across the country, President Biden and Vice President Harris are running to finish the job – to build on record job creation and lower prescription drug costs – including a $35 cap on monthly insulin costs for seniors – to protect Social Security and Medicare, and to protect a woman’s right to choose nationwide.
- The contrast couldn’t be more clear: President Biden and Vice President Harris are running to fight for our freedoms and grow the economy from the middle out and bottom up, not top down.
State of the 2024 GOP Field
2024 Republicans continue to prove that whoever the nominee is, they are guaranteed to be too extreme and out of touch for American families.
These hopefuls are all embracing the most extreme positions in order to win over the MAGA base. Three key toplines:
- The GOP field continues to threaten health care for millions and put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block,
- Every GOP contender has an extreme anti-choice record and support for a federal ban has become a litmus test in their primary,
- GOP contenders have embraced some of the most dangerous elements of their party, such as banning books, denying free and fair elections, and choosing the NRA over public safety.
The Extreme MAGA Blueprint
Gutting Social Security and Medicare
- The MAGA Republican presidential candidates all have supported extreme plans to end Social Security and Medicare as we know them, even though 71% of Americans — including 59% of Republicans — support funding these crucial programs over budget cuts like 2024 Republicans have proposed.
- Donald Trump and Mike Pence proposed cuts to Medicare and Social Security programs every year they were in office.
- Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Chris Christie all have supported putting Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block.
Cutting Taxes for the Rich, Shipping Jobs Overseas, and Raising Costs for Families
- Donald Trump promised to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, including 13,000 new jobs and a Foxconn facility right outside of Milwaukee. Instead, the Trump-Pence administration created incentives to ship jobs overseas, manufacturing was on the decline, and the super-rich got a break, while the middle class struggled to get by.
- In 2024, the Republican candidates all want to double down on Trump’s failed trickle-down economics.
- Trump, Mike Pence, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy all support more tax giveaways for the super-rich and profitable corporations, and Florida has become an inflation hotspot under Ron DeSantis.
Banning Abortion Nationwide
- 2024 GOP candidates have called for banning abortion across the country. Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, and Mike Pence have all vowed to support a national abortion ban.
- This agenda is as wildly unpopular, extreme, and out of step with the American people as it is harmful – a USA Today poll from June found that 80% of Americans – including 65% of Republicans and 83% of independents – oppose a federal law banning abortion nationwide.
Protecting the Gun Lobby Over Our Kids
- The 2024 Republican candidates have spent their careers supporting dangerous gun laws, pandering to the NRA, and proudly praising the gun lobby instead of making our communities, schools, and children safer.
- Donald Trump and Mike Pence spent four years caving to the NRA.
- Ron DeSantis signed legislation in Florida that could make it easier for criminals to carry weapons and supports concealed carry of firearms nationwide.
- After the horrific Charleston shooting that happened in their own state, Nikki Haley and Tim Scott doubled down on parroting the NRA’s talking points – choosing the gun lobby over their own community.
Undermining Democracy
- In the aftermath of January 6, voters have resoundingly rejected MAGA Republicans who denied the results of the election, especially in 2020 battleground states.
- Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, and Nikki Haley all campaigned for election deniers last fall including Kari Lake, Doug Mastriano, and Don Bolduc.
President Biden and Vice President Harris Are Running to Finish the Job
Team-Biden Harris Holding Republicans Accountable During First Debate
Team Biden-Harris will have a robust rapid response strategy for the first GOP debate – which will hold Republicans’ accountable and highlight the contrast between their extreme agenda and President Biden and Vice President Harris’ agenda of growing the economy from the bottom up and middle out and protecting American democracy and freedoms.
This weekend, the campaign announced a historic $25 million ad buy that will highlight the president’s economic accomplishments and reach voters across the country and in key battleground states – including the largest, earliest investment in Hispanic and African American media for a reelection in history.
This ad buy is both the largest and earliest media buy for a reelection campaign into constituency media ever, as well as the largest overall buy for a reelection campaign at this point in time ever, ensuring that President Biden’s message is heard throughout this year’s Republican primary.
Officials, including Biden-Harris campaign co- chair Cedric Richmond and DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, will be on the ground in Milwaukee this week to meet with local leaders and key constituencies, while an aggressive war room run jointly by the Biden-Harris campaign and the DNC out of Washington will hold Republican candidates accountable for the extreme MAGA views they espouse from the debate stage.
President Biden and Vice President Harris Are Running to Finish the Job and Focusing on the Priorities of the American People
While the Republicans will stake out deeply unpopular, extreme, MAGA losing positions on Wednesday, President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting for the American people’s priorities.
- To protect a woman’s right to choose nationwide.
- To take on the NRA and ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines so our kids are safe in schools.
- To protect Social Security and Medicare – which Americans have already paid into.
- And to defend our democracy and fight for our freedoms.
They are running to finish the job and continue growing the economy from the bottom up and middle out, not top down – building on their work that is already lowering prescription drug costs and bringing back manufacturing from overseas.
The president and vice president have made important progress but there is more work to do.
That’s what is at stake in November of next year. And, tonight, the American people will see a stage full of people espousing a losing vision they disagree with, in contrast to a president who stands with them and fights for their families.
Poll Worker Recruitment Day
Poll Worker Recruitment Day is a national day of action to recruit new potential poll workers who are committed to ensuring safe, fair, and free elections for all voters.
There are no off years for democracy, and elections are happening across the country in 2023. In every election, election administrators need poll workers to keep polling places open, help their neighbors vote, and ensure every voter has access to the ballot box.
Use this toolkit to make sure democracy is accessible in your area!
Recent Comments