Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel has discussed the possibility of stepping down during a private meeting with former President Donald Trump, with both agreeing to delay a decision until after South Carolina’s primary later this month, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Quick Read
- Discussion of Resignation: Ronna McDaniel, Chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), discussed the possibility of stepping down in a private meeting with former President Donald Trump, with a decision postponed until after South Carolina’s primary.
- No Formal Decision Yet: McDaniel has not officially decided to leave her role, amidst internal party opposition and public scrutiny from Trump.
- Trump-McDaniel Meeting: In a cordial meeting in Florida, Trump and McDaniel considered her potential departure among other RNC leadership changes, agreeing to wait until the South Carolina primary’s outcome.
- RNC Spokesperson Statement: Keith Schipper, an RNC spokesperson, confirmed that any decisions regarding McDaniel’s role would be made post-South Carolina primary.
- Trump’s Influence: McDaniel’s situation underscores Trump’s significant sway within the GOP, particularly as his support base, the “Make America Great Again” movement, gains more influence.
- McDaniel’s Tenure: Elected for a fourth term a year ago, McDaniel is the longest-serving GOP chair since the Civil War, despite criticism from Trump allies.
- Potential Successors: RNC members have publicly discussed possible replacements, including North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley, who has connections to both the Republican establishment and Trump.
- Opposition and Criticism: McDaniel faces opposition from far-right figures and was targeted by the group Turning Point for the GOP’s recent political setbacks and alleged financial mismanagement.
- RNC Financial Situation: The RNC is dealing with financial challenges, with recent disclosures revealing $8 million in the bank and $1 million in debt.
- Leadership and Future Direction: The next RNC chair will play a crucial role in the 2024 elections, directing the party’s infrastructure and fundraising efforts, with Trump nearing a third presidential nomination.
- McDaniel’s Position: Despite internal challenges, McDaniel has maintained her role by directly addressing issues with Trump, indicating a willingness to step down if desired by the party’s next presidential nominee.
- Trump’s Comments: Trump hinted at upcoming changes within the RNC leadership, expressing his views on McDaniel’s performance and potential departure.
- RNC Member Support: Despite the controversies, McDaniel retains popularity among some RNC members, with their support potentially influenced by Trump’s decisions.
The Associated Press has the story:
RNC Chair McDaniel in talks with Trump to step down post-SC primary
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP) —
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel has discussed the possibility of stepping down during a private meeting with former President Donald Trump, with both agreeing to delay a decision until after South Carolina’s primary later this month, according to two people familiar with the matter.
McDaniel has not formally decided to leave her position as head of the GOP’s political machine, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose internal deliberations. But having long faced vocal opposition from a faction of the party, McDaniel is under renewed pressure after Trump publicly questioned whether she should stay in the job.
During what was described as a cordial private meeting Monday in Florida, Trump and McDaniel discussed her potential departure as one of a range of possibilities for changes within RNC leadership. But they agreed not to make any final decisions until after South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary, in which Trump is seeking to deliver a knockout blow to his last major challenger, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, a native of the state and its former governor.
“Nothing has changed,” RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper said in a statement. “This will be decided after South Carolina.”
McDaniel’s potential ouster highlights the growing influence of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement in GOP affairs on the eve of a new general election season. The 50-year-old from Michigan was overwhelmingly elected to a fourth two-year term just one year ago, becoming the longest-serving Republican Party chair since the Civil War, despite facing some of the very same criticism about her job performance from Trump’s vocal allies in conservative media.
But over the last year, with Trump’s grip on a third presidential nomination tightening, such MAGA voices are carrying more clout.
RNC members openly discussed potential successors on social media late Tuesday, including North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley, who has ties both to the Republican establishment and Trump.
Whatley, who serves as general counsel to the RNC, has taken credit for hiring an army of lawyers ahead of the 2020 election, which he has said stymied Democratic efforts to commit voter fraud. He failed in his bid last year to become the RNC co-chair, despite earning Trump’s endorsement.
Tyler Bowyer, an RNC member from Arizona, wrote on X that a leadership fight was already underway between Whatley, whom he described as “Ronna’s pick,” and current RNC co-chair Drew McKissick, of South Carolina.
McDaniel has faced vocal opposition from leading far-right figures who largely blamed her for the GOP’s political struggles since Trump’s 2016 election. That’s even as Trump himself publicly and privately backed McDaniel, who is Utah Sen. Mitt Romney’s niece. Trump first tapped her to lead the committee in 2017.
McDaniel recently faced a week of withering attacks from far-right figures spearheaded by the group Turning Point, a glitzy and well-funded organization founded by 30-year-old media figure Charlie Kirk, who was part of an unsuccessful effort to oust McDaniel one year ago.
Days before the party’s winter meeting convened last week, Turning Point hosted a counterprogramming event dubbed “Restoring National Confidence” — a play on the RNC’s initials.
At the gathering, Kirk and many of his Turning Point allies repeatedly called for McDaniel’s ouster, blaming her for the party’s poor showing in recent years, as well as accusing her of lavishly spending RNC money.
The RNC is grappling with a cash crunch after being out of the White House for four years. Campaign finance disclosures released last week showed the RNC had just $8 million in the bank and $1 million in debt.
“We know a pack of losers when we see it: top to bottom, the entire RNC staff in its current form,” Kirk said last week on his radio show.
Under the direction of the party’s presidential nominee, whoever serves as chair this fall will direct the sprawling nationwide infrastructure designed to elect a Republican president while serving as a chief party fundraiser.
With decisive victories in the first two primary contests, Trump is fast approaching a third consecutive presidential nomination.
McDaniel has survived in Trump’s orbit for the last seven years in part by being willing to confront him directly, albeit always in private, about difficult issues. Trump and McDaniel met privately Monday at the former president’s Florida estate amid rising tensions between the GOP establishment and MAGA leaders.
McDaniel cannot be removed from RNC leadership in the middle of a term without a vote of two-thirds of the group’s membership, which includes a handful of elected officials from every state in the nation. And given her overwhelming reelection just one year ago, there likely aren’t the votes to oust her by force.
But there is a sense she would voluntarily step down should the party’s next presidential nominee — presumably Trump — want her to. McDaniel has indicated in recent private conversations that she has no interest in fighting for her position if she is not wanted by the de facto leader of the party.
Trump suggested in an interview aired Sunday morning that McDaniel would leave her job soon.
“I think she did great when she ran Michigan for me. I think she did OK, initially, in the RNC. I would say right now, there’ll probably be some changes made,” Trump said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Still, McDaniel remains popular among many RNC members.
“With what the mission of the RNC is, I think she’s done a good job,” said Iowa RNC member Steve Scheffler, who noted national party fundraising typically falls behind individual campaign spending during competitive primaries. “But whatever Trump decides to do, I’ll be supportive of that.”
