President Donald Trump has officially announced his support for Michael Whatley, current chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, as Ronna McDaniel’s successor as chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC).
In addition to Whatley, Trump also threw his support behind his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, backing her for the RNC co-chair role.
In addition to these endorsements, Trump has named Chris LaCivita, his campaign co-manager, to take on the role of chief operating officer of the RNC, although LaCivita is expected to continue in his current role concurrently.
These endorsements come at a critical time for the RNC as it prepares for the 2024 presidential race. Trump’s support is expected to significantly influence the direction of the committee and strengthen its control over the Party apparatus.
In a statement released today, President Trump highlighted the importance of the RNC in the upcoming presidential election, underscoring the need for an “impeccable” partnership to ensure transparent elections and strong voter turnout.
His statement reads:
The RNC MUST be a good partner in presidential elections. It must do the work we expect of the National Party and do it impeccably. That means helping ensure fair and transparent elections across the country, getting out the vote everywhere – even in parts of the country where it won’t be easy – and working with my campaign, as the presumptive Republican nominee for president, to win this election and MAKE L ‘AMERICA STILL GREAT!
For these reasons, I think my friend Michael Whatley should be the next leader of the RNC. Michael has been with me since the beginning, has done a great job in his home state of North Carolina, and is committed to election integrity, which we must maintain to keep fraud out of our elections so that cannot be stolen.
My very talented daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, has agreed to run for co-chair of the RNC. Lara is a very talented communicator and she is dedicated to everything MAGA stands for. She told me that she wants to take on this challenge and that it would be GREAT!
I have also asked Chris LaCivita, in whom I have full confidence, to assume the role, in all respects, of the Committee’s Chief Operating Officer. Chris will manage the day-to-day operations of the RNC so that it becomes a fighting machine for 2024 and uses all available tools to win for the American people.
This group of three is very talented, intelligent and battle-tested. They have my complete and total support to lead the Republican National Committee.
This high-profile endorsement follows reports of tensions between Trump and current RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. CNN reported that Trump and her advisers were unhappy with McDaniel’s leadership, leading to a push for her resignation.
McDaniel reportedly met with Trump for two hours at Mar-a-Lago a few days after the RNC’s annual winter meeting, where she offered to resign after the South Carolina primary to make way for Trump’s preferred leadership .
Since Ronna Romney McDaniel took over the leadership of the GOP in 2017, the party’s grip on power appears to have loosened. On her watch, Republicans experienced a series of electoral setbacks, losing eight gubernatorial races, three Senate seats, 19 House seats and a presidential race.
The Gateway Pundit reported Saturday that the RNC is looking to open a line of credit to help pay bills and offset recent dismal fundraising levels.
It may be recalled that donations to the inept Republican Party have reached their lowest level in 8 years under Ronna McDaniel.
An in-depth investigation by RedState has revealed troubling details about the spending habits of the Republican National Committee (RNC) under the leadership of Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, highlighting a troubling pattern of spending on non-essential items.
This report comes more than a year after the initial exposé that revealed millions in donor funds earmarked for high-end luxury items and entertainment.
The latest financial review, based on Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, compares the RNC’s spending to that of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from October 20, 2022, to November 30, 2023. The results show a stark contrast in financial situation. priority between the two parties.
Here’s a breakdown of spending categories between the RNC and DNC:
Floral arrangements:
- RNC: $70,328.00
- DNC: $795
Consultants:
- RNC: $1,078,279.47
- DNC: $114,000
Office supplies:
- RNC: $297,717.64
- DNC: $45,005
Limousine:
- RNC: $263,127.25
- DNC: $7,000
Maintenance of voter files:
- RNC: $39,233.50
- DNC: $235,865.88
GOTV Lyrics:
- RNC: $86,019
- DNC: $1,676,923.29
State expenditure:
- RNC: $13,800,200
- DNC: $23,835,437
The organization outspent the DNC in areas such as floral arrangements, consultants, office supplies and limousines.
The DNC has funneled significantly more funds into key areas such as voter file maintenance, Get Out The Vote (GOTV) messaging campaigns, and state party support, which are traditionally vital to electoral success.
In the wake of this political maneuver, the New York Times reported that Ronna McDaniel is set to resign after the South Carolina GOP primary. Additionally, Politico revealed that RNC chief of staff Mike Reed will also eventually step down this month to focus on his family.
However, Ronna McDaniel sent an email to members denying reports that she had agreed to resign from her post as RNC chair.
“With a news cycle full of palace intrigue and speculation surrounding us all, I want to take the time to reassure all of you that I am still on the job as RNC chairman and building a machine that will elect Republicans up and down the ballot . in November,” McDaniel wrote.
He continued: “My staff and I refuse to be distracted by outside noise and remain committed to our mission – rumors to the contrary are simply not true. Nothing has changed and no changes will be decided until after South Carolina, when we may have our final candidate.”
“An inside source tells me this is the RNC’s attempt to slow things down because they have lost control of the process, i.e. who will replace Ronna, who will be co-chair, etc.,” TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk said on X .