Opinion | My Fellow Republicans: Stop the Trash Talk

As a Republican governor who has won four elections in a purple state, I’ve learned a thing or two about how to win. As Donald Trump and my fellow Republicans navigate the next steps of their campaigns, my message to them is this: The path to victory in November is not won through character attacks or personal insults.

In fact, those attacks are unlikely to bring a single new voter onboard. Catchy one-liners — calling Vice President Harris a “bum,” “not a serious person” and “bottom of the barrel” — might rile up the base, but they do little to connect with independent voters needed to close the deal in November.

Independent voters are independent for a reason. They are not driven to the polls by personal attacks. Candidates need to give them a reason to turn out and vote. What solutions are you going to provide that will make life better for them, their family and their community? This election will likely be a coin toss, and whoever turns out these voters will be well positioned to win.

Now, instead of giving independents a reason to show up and vote for the solutions the Republican Party can offer, our candidates are responding to comments by Democrats like Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota that the G.O.P. is led by “weird people.” Don’t get me wrong, such comments from Democrats do nothing to move the conversation forward either. The message from both sides must be inspirational, focused and about the results that can be delivered for the American people.

Politicians usually don’t lose votes for laughing or smiling too much. Attacks like those waged against Vice President Kamala Harris are unserious and don’t meet the moment that American families find themselves in. You have to connect with voters on their issues and their concerns. You earn their trust by appreciating that the job is bigger than yourself. You win tough elections by showing real empathy and addressing the anxieties that keep them up at night.

Donald Trump has led in the polls, and his return to the White House has seemed almost inevitable — and not only because Joe Biden was until recently his opponent. Americans are hungry for change. Under the Biden-Harris administration they have seen interest rates skyrocket. Housing prices have risen drastically. Families are struggling to pay their credit card debt and buy groceries. Those kitchen table issues have a real impact on millions of Americans.