RNC’s Contemptible ‘Pledge’

The Republican National Committee is struggling to reassert its dominance over a party that has lost all respect for its organizational apparatus.

This week, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson’s presidential campaign reached out to the RNC with the request that it amend one of its primary qualifications for candidates seeking to participate in sanctioned debates: the demand that participants sign a pledge in support of the eventual Republican presidential nominee.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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The Republican National Committee is struggling to reassert its dominance over a party that has lost all respect for its organizational apparatus.

This week, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson’s presidential campaign reached out to the RNC with the request that it amend one of its primary qualifications for candidates seeking to participate in sanctioned debates: the demand that participants sign a pledge in support of the eventual Republican presidential nominee.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.