RNC chair apologizes to committee members for poor communication on new gay pride initiative

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel emailed an apology Monday evening to the GOP's 168 committee members, acknowledging she could have done a better job communicating a new initiative to recruit gay voters that upset some in the party's Christian evangelical base.

McDaniel's email was sent a few hours after she tried to quell a rebellion inside her ranks, holding a conference call with RNC members that delivered talking points supporting the new GOP Pride coalition but refusing to take questions. She blamed the risk that news media members may have dialed into the call for skipping a Q&A.

"I apologize for not taking questions — we were aware of members of the press who received the dial-in information and did not think it was appropriate," she wrote. "If you have any follow-up questions, please let me know and I will give you a call.

"Also, I want to reiterate that we should have done a better job of communicating this information to you ahead of time and I apologize for any problems this may have caused for you. I never want to put you in a position where you do not have all of the facts, and I am sorry that happened in this situation. We will do better, I promise."

You can read the full email here:

McDaniel's talking points delivered on the call sought to assuage evangelicals by saying the new gay voter project had only one staffer hired while her outreach project for faith voters had three. "We have plans in place to build the largest faith outreach coalition the RNC has ever had," she said.

McDaniel also suggested the gay outreach was simply "replicating" an effort President Trump's 2020 campaign made and that there were no plans to change the party's pro-family plank.

"The RNC hiring this new staffer does not mean we are advocating for ANY policy or RNC platform change on these issues," she wrote. "As you know, the Platform Committee will meet at the Republican National Convention in 2024 to decide our platform. That Committee is made up of members from each state and territory and elected at the local level. And it certainly doesn't mean we are trying to make any changes to the core values of our party.   

"We are actively committed to fighting the radical left on culture issues and standing up for religious liberty, family values, and Republicans of faith," she added.

The call and email came after Just the News reported Sunday night that several RNC supporters —- including prominent evangelicals like Tony Perkins — and some committee members were concerned the gay voter initiative was launched without consultation and in partnership with the pro-gay Log Cabin Republicans group.

The new coalition showed up on the RNC's web site recently with a proclamation that "the GOP is the Party for all, we are the BIG TENT party!" and it then held a gala last week at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.

"Our newly formed GOP Pride Coalition is proud to partner with Log Cabin Republicans to invest in and mobilize Pride conservatives and allies across the country to elect Republicans up and down the ballot," the RNC said. "Our GOP Pride Coalition champions the values that make our great Republican movement so strong — America First, individual freedoms, limited government interference, and equality for all."

Perkins said he fears the inclusion effort will undercut the RNC's pro-family and pro-faith agenda and make it look more like the Democrat Party. 

McDaniel's talking points insisted such concerns were unwarranted. "We would never, ever organize or communicate with organizations that undermine our values," her email stated. "You have my word on that."