Ex-RNC chair: GOP must 'reconcile with' Trump being a 'convicted felon'

A month from now, on Thursday, July 11, Justice Juan Merchan is scheduled to sentence former President Donald Trump on 34 criminal charges.

It remains to be seen what type of sentence Merchan will impose. The possibilities range from jail or prison to home confinement to probation.

But whatever Merchan decides, former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele is reminding members of his party that their presumptive presidential nominee is now someone with a criminal record.

READ MORE:Ex-Trump aide explains why he 'wouldn’t have a problem if Joe Biden pardoned Hunter Biden'

During a Tuesday morning, June 11 appearance on MSNBC, the Never Trump conservative — who supported President Joe Biden in 2020 and is supporting him again in this year's election — told MSNBC's Ana Cabrera, "It will go as it always goes with these guys. They'll fall in line because they have to."

Steele continued, "There's no thread here or backbone that's going to tell Donald Trump to his face, 'You, sir, need to stand down, and allow us to move forward with a different nominee. You are a convicted felon. It is not a good brand for the party of law and order to be led by someone who is a 34-time convicted felon.' But they won't do that."

The former RNC chairman, who now co-hosts "The Weekend" on MSNBC, emphasized that most of the GOP will continue to rally around Trump in the weeks and months ahead.

Steele told Cabrera, "The conservation will be: How do we butter you up? There will be a lot of that — oh, Mr. Trump, you're the greatest. We're so fortunate that you deign to be in our presence. And worrying about his governing strategy — what governing strategy? He didn't have one four years ago; what makes you think he's going to have one now? He's the chaos candidate."

READ MORE:McCarthy accuses Gaetz of 'buying coke and paying minors for sex': 'Hunter Biden of the GOP'

Steele continued, "So, the party's gotta reconcile itself to what the rest of this campaign looks like with a convicted felon leading the charge…. And they'll worry about the governing part on the backend."

READ MORE:Legal scholars 'brace' for 'Hail Mary pass' that could send Trump conviction to SCOTUS

Watch the full video below or at this link.