Calgary RNC Chair Stands By GOP Loyalty Pledge Amid Pushback From 2024 Candidates | HuffPost Latest News - Action.News ABC Action News WestNet-HD Weather Traffic

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel declared that the party loyalty pledge is here to stay after some 2024 GOP presidential candidates have called it into question.

The pushback comes after the RNC announced that candidates would have to sign a pledge to support the partys eventual nominee in order to qualify for the first GOP primary debate, set to take place in August.

Its the Republican Party nomination and the pledge is staying, McDaniel said in an interview with Fox News Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday.

Anybody who wants to seek the nomination of our party should pledge to support the voters. If you go through this process and you take time on the debate stage and youre going to be there, the number one pledge should be, beat Biden. Its called the Beat Biden Pledge for a reason, because at the end of the day, we all have to be united in one thing.

The loyalty pledge has faced criticism from GOP presidential candidates, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

I think the pledge is just a useless idea ... And by the way, in all my life, we never had to have Republican primary candidates take a pledge, Christie on Sunday told CNN s Jake Tapper , who asked if hed pledge to support GOP front-runner Donald Trump even if hes a convicted felon.

You know, we were Republicans , Christie said. And the idea is youd support the Republican whether you won or whether you lost. You didnt have to ask somebody to sign something.

CNN's @jaketapper asks 2024 candidate Chris Christie whether he would pledge to support the Republican nominee \"even if he's a convicted felon.\"

Christie: \"I'll take the pledge in 2024 just as seriously as Donald Trump took the pledge in 2016.\" pic.twitter.com/FjMfqV03IK

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CNN's @jaketapper asks 2024 candidate Chris Christie whether he would pledge to support the Republican nominee "even if he's a convicted felon."

Christie: "I'll take the pledge in 2024 just as seriously as Donald Trump took the pledge in 2016." pic.twitter.com/FjMfqV03IK
The Recount (@therecount) June 18, 2023

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson earlier called for a meeting with RNC officials to discuss amending the loyalty pledge in the wake of Trumps federal indictment on Espionage Act charges, Politico reported .

We need to concentrate on supporting the principles of the party, which is the rule of law, support of law enforcement and law and order versus simply trying to circle the wagons around Donald Trump and making sure hes protected going into next year. Hutchinson told ABCs This Week on Sunday.

RNCs requirement of supporting eventual nominee is not a pleasant way to start off the debate, Asa Hutchinson says.

We need to concentrate on supporting the principles of the partyversus simply trying to circle the wagons around Donald Trump.\" https://t.co/re0py9LGb0 pic.twitter.com/0CsQGa9VN9

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We need to concentrate on supporting the principles of the partyversus simply trying to circle the wagons around Donald Trump.\" https://t.co/re0py9LGb0 pic.twitter.com/0CsQGa9VN9 This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 18, 2023\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/1670429945833611264/img/wMcI-NPzILySFymh.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"This Week on 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RNCs requirement of supporting eventual nominee is not a pleasant way to start off the debate, Asa Hutchinson says.

We need to concentrate on supporting the principles of the partyversus simply trying to circle the wagons around Donald Trump." https://t.co/re0py9LGb0 pic.twitter.com/0CsQGa9VN9
This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 18, 2023

Trump, too, has also yet to commit to signing the loyalty pledge and has considered skipping debates, NBC News reported.

Christie name-dropped Trump on Sunday with a mention of Trumps back-and-forth on a loyalty pledge ahead of the 2016 election.

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Im going to take the pledge just as seriously as Donald Trump took it in 2016, Christie said.

H/T: Mediaite

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