Some Republicans believe that presidential candidates who are not Donald Trump are missing an opportunity to stand out in a crowded primary field by not directly addressing the former president. Strategists agree that any candidate will need to win over at least some Trump supporters in order to defeat him in the polls, but directly attacking him carries certain risks.
However, with the first debate approaching, there is a belief that candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) will need to take on Trump more forcefully 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 differing approaches were evident this week when Trump criticized Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) and neither Haley nor DeSantis mentioned Trump in their defense of Reynolds on social media. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R), on the other hand, defended Reynolds and openly criticized Trump.
Many Republicans running for president have been cautious in their approach to Trump, often criticizing him indirectly. DeSantis, who is currently in second place in most polls, has argued that he will be able to accomplish what Trump didn’t during his first term in office. Haley has focused on calls for generational change in leadership, while Scott has centered his campaign on his faith and a positive conservative agenda.
Vivek Ramaswamy, another candidate, has defended Trump against his indictments and even suggested he would pardon Trump if elected to the White House. Former Vice President Mike Pence has been more aggressive in criticizing Trump, mainly focusing on policy differences.
Trump himself has shown no reservations about attacking other candidates in the field. Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump White House communications director, tweeted that the candidates’ fear of alienating Trump voters has led to their failure to stand out in the race.
Candidates face the difficult reality of needing the support of at least some Trump supporters to secure the party’s nomination. Experts suggest that they need to find a way to criticize Trump without completely alienating his base. Tim Hagle, an associate professor at the University of Iowa, suggests a message along the lines of “We agree with Trump’s policies and what he did as president, but it’s time to move on.”
Despite Trump’s indictment, he has remained steady in national polls, while candidates like Christie and Hutchinson, who have directly taken on Trump, have polled in the low single digits. Christie has centered his campaign on criticizing Trump’s character and suggesting that he is conning the public. Hutchinson has urged Trump to drop out of the race after his indictment.
With the upcoming debate, strategists argue that Trump’s absence could give other candidates the opportunity to go after him without his ability 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.”