MSNBC's Michael Steele revealed why fewer voters see themselves reflected in the Republican Party.
The former Republican National Committee chairman told "Morning Joe" that Nikki Haley's presidential announcement Wednesday underscored the structural problem Donald Trump had embedded in the GOP since becoming its standard bearer.
"Reagan talked about our cause, the cause of the country, the cause of our party, in a way in which America saw themselves reflected in that, and we won elections," Steele said. "We won the argument against our political opponents, we made the better case to the American people. Nikki Haley yesterday in her announcement talked about our cause being just. My only question in response to that, well, if it is so just, if it is so right, why have Americans rejected it seven out of the last eight elections? Why can we not re-engage them along those democratic principles that Reagan espoused?"
"You've embraced a man who says he is bigger and better than Reagan," Steele added. "In fact, he says he is bigger and more popular and greater than the founder of our party [Abraham Lincoln]. That's not a cause that is right, that is narcissism. America doesn't embrace narcissism because they don't see themselves reflected in it, and so unless you're willing to show America who we are as a party, and I can speak as a current member of this party because I know it pisses them off I'm still here. I ain't going anywhere yet, right?"
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Haley and other potential GOP candidates, such as Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) all faced the same problem unless they could break away from Trump, Steele said.
"That cause that you talk about, Nikki and Tim and DeSantis and all the rest of you, is not a reflection of America, it's a reflection of Donald Trump, and until you break yourself free of that, and right yourself with the cause of the country, those Madisonian democratic principles, you say your stand on the Constitution -- yeah, you're literally standing on it, wiping your feet on it by embracing narcissistic policies and a person that leads to insurrection," Steele said. "So, yeah, the cause is right in your mind but not right for America. That's what this election is going to be about."
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