Donald Trump has the GOP worried.
Weeks into his 2016 presidential campaign, the billionaire entrepreneur’s fiery rhetoric on illegal immigration has gotten the attention of Republican National Committee chairman, Reince Priebus, the Washington Post reports.
In a phone call with Trump Wednesday, the Post says Priebus urged Trump to “tone down his inflammatory comments that have infuriated a key election constituency.”
Other lawmakers have echoed those sentiments. The Post cites former senator Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah) who says “if Trump can keep this going, it will be truly worrisome.”
One Republican state party chairman told the Washington Post:
“[Trump has] already done some damage, and it could be substantial going forward. He could be one of the reasons we lose. It’s that serious. There’s nothing we can do about it, and that’s what’s so scary.”
The concern is that Trump is quickly becoming the face of the GOP this election season.
Trump’s comments about Mexican immigrants have been well-documented, and they have cost him several business partnerships in the last few weeks. Still, Trump has steamrolled ahead, doubling down on his sharp criticism against some Latinos, despite the significant voting power they wield.
The Post writes of the phone call with Priebus, it “underscores the extent to which Trump has gone from an embarrassment to a cause for serious alarm” among Republican leadership. Trump has undoubtedly dominated much of the conversation in a field of nearly two dozen GOP contenders — much to the chagrin of party leaders and donors alike.
Despite the pratfalls Trump has encountered in recent days, the ever-confident businessman has proven to be unbothered by the consequences — even declaring in an NBC interview Wednesday that he would win the Latino vote if he secures the GOP presidential nomination.
As reported by Business Insider