“Outspent 10 to 1”: Karl Rove Warns GOP of Local Level Spending Deficit
Photo: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Republican strategist Karl Rove has raised the alarm about a significant spending gap between Democrats and Republicans at the local level, warning GOP leaders of a “problem” as Democrats are outspending them 10 to one.
During an interview on Fox News Monday, Rove criticized Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance for his response to Democratic claims that he was “weird.” “Problem with J.D. Vance in that response was fine, very artful, detailed, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, but way too long and missed the opportunity to go on the offense,” Rove said.
Rove pointed out that Republicans face a critical issue in Senate races due to the Democrats’ superior financial resources. “Well, one of the things that would concern me if I was in the high command of the Trump campaign is that they are being outspent at the state level by the state Democratic parties over the state Republican parties on the ground game,” Rove explained.
He elaborated on the consequences of this disparity. “And unless the Trump campaign is gonna be able to even that up, they’re gonna have a problem with marginally bigger turnout because of two things: one is more excitement about Kamala Harris, and second of all, a much larger ground game activity undergoing in places like Wisconsin, where I saw a report today that suggested that the Democrats have outspent the Republicans on ground game activity 10 to one.”
“That’s a problem, and you gotta get that evened up,” he emphasized. Fox News host Martha MacCallum expressed her frustration with the Republican Party’s shortcomings. “Karl, I mean, this is something that has been talked about since the 2022 midterms,” she said. “So what if Republicans, why aren’t they better at it by now?”
Rove acknowledged the issue, noting the GOP’s persistent struggles. “That’s a problem if the Republicans don’t have their ground game together to get this election run. Well, it’s not like they haven’t had any warning over the last couple of cycles.”
MacCallum pointed out that these failures have occurred despite changes in Republican Party leadership, including Lara Trump’s new role as a co-chair. “You gotta get this thing done at the state and local level,” Rove insisted. “It can’t all be done out of Washington, D.C.”
Rove’s comments highlight the urgent need for the Republican Party to bolster its ground game efforts and close the spending gap with Democrats to ensure competitive Senate races and a successful campaign.
