by Ben Whedon
While Donald Trump, the 2016 Republican presidential candidate, battled the GOP establishment to change the party’s direction and faced significant internal resistance in 2020 as he ran for re-election, as a 2024 candidate he now appears to have gained control of a party apparatus that is willing to accept his agenda and wholeheartedly support his efforts.
On Monday, the Republican National Committee formally adopted Trump’s 2024 party platform, which focused heavily on the economy and border security. While both have been top of mind for Trump throughout his political career, the inclusion of other provisions in the platform underscored the extent to which his own agenda has intruded on the party.
That Trump would wield outsize influence over the RNC is not surprising, given that he has essentially hand-picked the party’s leadership. The RNC installed then-chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party Michael Whatley as GOP chairman in March after Trump endorsed him for the position. Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara, was also tapped to serve as co-chair.
When Trump burst onto the political scene in the 2016 Republican primaries, he frequently clashed with the RNC and even accused the party of being biased against his candidacy.
In a crowded primary, he fended off attacks from many conventional Republicans and traded barbs with opponents, challenging Republican orthodoxy, particularly on free trade and foreign policy.
After Trump announced his nomination, the party apparatus was reluctant to accept a first-time outsider. At the time, the RNC was chaired by Reince Priebus, whom Trump later named his chief of staff. But he lasted only six months.
In the 2020 election, Trump was the incumbent president and faced a handful of minor challengers. At the time, the RNC was chaired by Ronna McDaniel and there were no primary debates. In the 2024 primaries, McDaniel hosted a series of debates, but Trump did not participate in any.
The Republican Party’s adoption of Trump’s platform on Monday seemed to signal that the political battles between the old guard of Republicans and the America First contingent have largely been decided in favor of the latter camp. The platform includes multiple sections on the cost of living, foreign competition, cryptocurrencies and educational opportunities, most of which seem aimed at younger voters and somewhat at odds with traditionalist Republican stances.
Miscarriage
Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices who all voted to overturn the constitutional right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade. He upheld the decision but called for abortion bans to be left to the states and expressed support for exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. His own stance during the 2024 primaries drew the ire of some pro-lifers and his Republican rivals, many of whom had argued for nationwide bans and fewer, if any, exceptions.
The fresh party platform does not explicitly call for a nationwide ban, but states that the 14th Amendment guarantees that “no person shall be denied life or liberty without due process, and that the states shall therefore be free to enact laws to protect those rights.” It also supports opposition to late-term abortion and support for protecting access to in vitro fertilization (IVF).
While the platform does not call for a human life amendment and represents a change from previous parties’ platforms on this issue, some pro-lifers believe the current position is consistent with the spirit of previous Republican efforts.
“This party has been pro-life for half a century, and for 40 years, it has called for a pro-life amendment to the United States Constitution, or a recognition that an unborn child has a right to life under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment,” Faith and Freedom Coalition founder Ralph Reed said Monday on the “John Solomon Reports” podcast. “This platform that was passed today in Milwaukee continues that tradition by making it clear that an unborn child has an inalienable right to life that cannot be violated, that life is protected by the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, which, by the way, was Ronald Reagan’s position.”
“And as a result, the states have the freedom to protect unborn life. It also calls for a ban on late-term abortions,” he continued. “And that language clearly contemplates both state and federal action. And the 14th Amendment applies to both the federal government and the states.”
New York Republican Representative Claudia Tenney said on the television program Just the News, No Noise: “I’m glad the platform clearly stated that the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution on liberty and the right to life, but also clearly stated that we oppose late-term abortion, and the Democrats are extremists on that issue.
“They support late-term abortion. They support post-birth abortion. … We know that really needs to be our message to everyone — understanding that Democrats are going to try to run on abortion. And I think being unified on that and having a message of how we do that is going to be, I think, important in the election this fall.”
Foreign Affairs
One of Trump’s most controversial positions in the 2016 primaries was his rejection of the “neoconservative” and interventionist foreign policies of the Bush era. Moreover, throughout his term, his efforts to get NATO allies to contribute more to the alliance irritated many foreign policy hawks.
During Trump’s term, most NATO members failed to meet their commitments to spend 2 percent of GDP on defense. While in power, the former president repeatedly pressured NATO members to meet their spending targets, even suggesting the U.S. could leave the alliance if they failed to do so. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in February this year, he announced that most of the country’s members were on track to meet their spending target.
“I said NATO has to pay its bills, and if it doesn’t pay its bills, we won’t protect you. THE MONEY WAS FLOWING IN! Under other presidents, NATO was BANKRUPT” Trump posted in March.
The platform doubled down on Trump’s efforts, promising to restore “peace through strength” and “strengthen alliances by ensuring that our allies meet their commitments to invest in our collective defense and restore peace to Europe.”
Trade
Chapter Five of the platform proposes protecting American domestic industry and reviving manufacturing, partly through tariffs. It also commits the party to “restoring trade balance, securing strategic independence, and reviving manufacturing.”
That section included a pledge that “Republicans will support baseline tariffs on foreign-made goods, pass the Trump Reciprocal Trade Act, and address unfair trade practices.”
Trump’s numerous tariff policies during his term, as well as his subsequent proposals once he was out of office, have long attracted attention considerable scrutiny from free trade advocateswho previously had considerable influence in the Republican Party.
Cryptocurrency
Further evidence of Trump’s direct influence on the party’s position is the inclusion of provisions on cryptocurrencies.
The RNC platform opposes the creation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) and promises to “defend the right to mine Bitcoin and ensure that every American has the right to independently hold their digital assets and make transactions free from government oversight and control.”
The Trump campaign announced in May that it would launch accepting donations in cryptocurrency and former president in the same month he expressed his opposition to CBDC. Cryptocurrency tycoons Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss Last month, they joined the ranks of the most high-profile donors using this format, donating $1 million each.
Maintenance costs
Chapter Four addressed the cost of living and prioritized housing affordability, saying Republicans would “reduce mortgage rates by lowering inflation, open limited portions of federal land to allow for new home construction, promote homeownership through tax incentives and support for first-time homebuyers, and reduce unnecessary regulations that raise housing costs.” Other provisions included the party’s commitment to lowering the cost of higher education, health care, and everyday expenses.
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