When The Daily Beast reported on the plans to make the Republican National Committee “white again” in March, the party was quick to deny that it was deprioritizing voters of color—even though the committee was scrapping plans to open new minority outreach centers.
Since then, there’s been little word about what exactly Republicans have in mind when it comes to attracting voters of color, who have traditionally supported Democrats by wide margins. That’s especially true when it comes to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters, who make up a small but rapidly growing 6 percent of the electorate.
But sources with knowledge of RNC efforts to win over these voters told The Daily Beast that Republicans aren’t abandoning outreach programs for AAPI voters. They’re actually doubling down—quietly.
“I don’t think they’re deprioritizing anything on this or taking them for granted,” a person knowledgeable about the GOP’s Asian American outreach efforts told the Daily Beast. “The folks on the ground on the Asian side were already set with the former president to be the nominee.”
“State parties are really moving towards engaging with the communities,” this person continued. “Campaigns are listening. The Trump campaign is listening a lot when it comes to this. They pay attention because they understand the demographics.”
This source added that the efforts to win over Asian American voters wasn’t as broadcasted as some other efforts, but that Republicans truly do see that demographic as potentially critical. “They care massively,” this person said of Republicans. “These are voters that voted for him before.”
Exit polls indeed show that in 2016 and 2020, Trump slightly surpassed Mitt Romney’s 2012 performance among Asian Americans. And there is other data suggesting that the demographic has recently shifted right, though roughly two out of three Asian American and Pacific Islander voters still back Democrats.
The effort to sway…
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