After the 2022 disastrous election cycle, American conservatives had enough and demanded our elected officials remove Ronna McDaniel as the Republican National Committee chair.
That is finally happening, but there are some serious questions to ask about the people who will likely replace her.
Talking Points…
- Ronna McDaniel says she will step down
- Likely replacements
- Analysis
McDaniel announced that she would be resigning on Monday. She will be stepping down after the Super Tuesday elections are completed on March 5. According to reports, she had met with former President Trump, who asked her to step down so that he could put his people in place.
In announcing her resignation, McDaniel stated:
"It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve the Republican National Committee for seven years as Chairwoman to elect Republicans and grow our Party. I have decided to step aside at our Spring Training on March 8 in Houston to allow our nominee to select a Chair of their choosing. The RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition.
"I remain committed to winning back the White House and electing Republicans up and down the ballot in November."
Donald Trump has already recommended his replacements for McDaniel. Trump has suggested that North Carolina GOP chair Michael Whatley be installed as the Chair. He has also recommended that his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, be installed as the co-chair, while top Trump campaign adviser, Chris LaCivita, also get a leadership position.
In response to Trump's recommendations, longtime RNC member Henry Barbour drafted one of two proposals to block Trump from being able to use the funds to pay his legal bills and service only his campaign. Barbour cited RNC Rule 11, which states the RNC may not:
"Contribute money or in-kind aid to any candidate for any public or party office of that state, except the nominee of the Republican Party or a candidate who is unopposed in the Republican Primary after the filing deadline for that office."
The second resolution stated:
"Spending any RNC financial resources for any candidate's personal, business, or political legal expenses, not related to the 2024 election cycle, does not serve the RNC's primary mission of helping to elect our candidates in 2024."
When the resolutions were announced, the Trump campaign went ballistic, with LaCivita releasing a statement ripping the RNC. He claimed the RNC's "sole responsibility to defeat Joe Biden and win back the White House," but that is not true. The RNC's role is to help Republicans up and down the ballot, not just one office. If you win the White House and give up the Senate and House, the White House is little reward.
Lara Trump is also on record stating that she will spend "every penny" getting Donald Trump re-elected, but again, that is not the role of the RNC, not even close. We have a lot of seats that will have to be defended in the House where longtime incumbents have decided to retire, which means these candidates will need support to win, support they may not get if 100% of the RNC funds are directed toward Trump's campaign and paying his legal bills.
