But on the most prominent battlefield of the past few decades, same-sex marriage, they’ve all but conceded defeat.
But the GOP has, in recent years, undergone a quiet but consequential evolution: Party leaders still exhibit strong opposition to transgender rights and the top legislative priorities of the LGBTQ community. The evangelical right remains the most committed part of the party, and the Family Research Council leader is among its most powerful figures. McDaniel’s willingness to brush aside complaints would have been unthinkable not too long ago, Republicans say. But the attacks, particularly from the evangelical right, were met with a shrug by the party. Tony Perkins, leader of the Family Research Council, lambasted her in a scathing blog postand even encouraged people not to donate to the RNC. Not just from Democrats, who accused her of disingenuousness, but from social conservatives too who furiously dialed up McDaniel with complaints.
But outside the building, those 265 characters prompted immediate backlash.
