GOP fears Trump hurting brand
July 01, 2015, 06:13 pm
It took two weeks for Donald Trump to confirm the fears of Republicans that his entrance into the Republican White House race could hurt the GOP brand.
The real estate mogul is rocking the polls, but he’s also been engulfed in an escalating feud with Hispanics over remarks from his campaign launch that said Mexico was sending criminals and rapists across the border.
The GOP can’t dump Trump. In fact, right now the billionaire businessman would earn a top spot on the debate stage given his poll numbers. And that’s a worry for party veterans.
“We're now trying to grow the numbers of votes in the Hispanic, African-American communities and work on growing the amount of female voters,” said GOP strategist Ron Bonjean, who suggested Trump is kneecapping those efforts.
“He's not hurting other candidates. He is risking the Republican brand,” added fellow Republican strategist David Payne.
Republicans hoping to send an inclusive message in next year’s general election after being throttled by President Obama in the race for black, Asian and Hispanic votes aren’t happy with the direction of the conversation.
“We don't want him standing on stage with other Republicans,” Bonjean said.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/246720-gop-fears-trump-hurting-brand
