RNC's Spicer: 'The Name Calling Has to Go Away'

This isn't the first election season in which divisive rhetoric has been used, Republican National Committee Communications Director Sean Spicer said Tuesday, but still, he'd like the name calling that's going on to come to an end.

"Name calling amongst each other is not productive, the RNC official told CNN "New Day" co-host Alisyn Camerota.  "While it may have a short-term benefit, talk about yourselves. In a primary, you are going to distinguish your policy from the other folks, that's fine. It's part of the process. The name calling has to go away."

Story continues below video.


Spicer said that he wanted to echo RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, who has spoken of  "the 11th Commandment," invoked by Ronald Reagan while he was running for governor of California in 1966, that said try not to speak ill of other Republicans.

"Republican on Republican, the focus has to be November of next year, winning the White House and keeping Hillary Clinton out," Spicer said.

Further, he told "New Day" that while Donald Trump has been quoted as saying he'd mount a third party run if he loses the 2016 GOP nomination, unless the RNC is fair with him, the committee is "going to play nicely" with all candidates.

"We are treating them equally and fairly," said Spicer. "We don't carve a candidate out. That's what's beautiful about our party; we believe in the free market, not just the marketplace, for our candidates. They all can run and make their cases to the voters."

Spicer also told the program that it was not unique for Priebus to have called Trump, as the RNC speaks with all the campaigns.

"In some cases, we talk about what the party is doing, the best interest of the party and the general election and the things that may be helpful in the data," said Spicer. "We do talk to all of them. That particular conversation leaked out and that was unfortunate. At the end of the day, do we counsel all candidates and tell them what we are doing, absolutely."

And as the RNC pledges to treat candidates fairly, Spicer said that it is not the RNC's job "to sit here and call balls and strikes" when it comes to former Gov. Mike Huckabee and his comments on the Iran nuclear deal. 

"Gov. Huckabee made his comments, and he articulated why he made them," Spicer said.
"They should speak for themselves. It's not my job or the RNC's job to get in the middle and say 'don't talk about this this way or that way.'"

And while conversations are held privately with candidates, "we are not going to condemn someone for how they talk about a policy."

Meanwhile, Spicer said there is "grumbling at the bottom" of the wide-open GOP candidate field about the upcoming Fox and CNN debates, but pointed out that the networks have gone an extra step to have a second debate for those not in the top 10 of the field.

"Historically, they may have gotten no voice because they weren't polling high enough," he said. "I actually applaud both networks for going the extra step."

But he denied that there are candidates complaining that Trump has pushed them out of the debates.

"They are not going to say that to me or to anyone here," said Spicer. "I think each one is trying to run their own campaign. The reality of a campaign, look at the players on the board, figure out a strategy and figure out how to get your candidate to move further up. I think they are having those conversations inside, but not just with Donald Trump, but other candidates."

Related Stories:

• Rick Santorum on Huckabee Holocaust Remark: 'This Is Iran's Intent'
• Donald Trump Warns RNC of Third-Party Run