Ronna McDaniel, Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), announced her decision on Monday to step down next month. This follows former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of a new leadership team for the party. The move came shortly after the South Carolina primary and Trump’s backing of North Carolina GOP chairman Michael Whatley as the next RNC chairman, Lara Trump as co-chair, and Chris LaCivita as the chief operating officer.
McDaniel, who served as chairwoman for seven years, highlighted her achievements, including firing Nancy Pelosi, winning the popular vote in 2022, establishing an Election Integrity Department, creating the committee’s first small-dollar grassroots donor program, and launching initiatives like Growing Republican Organizations to Win and Bank Your Vote. She expressed her intention to step aside during the Spring Training on March 8 in Houston to allow the nominee to select a new chair.
Handpicked by Trump after the 2016 election, McDaniel faced scrutiny over her leadership after the 2022 midterms, where Republicans suffered losses. Critics focused on her handling of party finances and grassroots efforts, with the latest FEC disclosure revealing a cash crunch compared to the Democratic National Committee. The RNC is not expected to cover Trump’s legal expenses, according to statements from Lara Trump and Chris LaCivita. Calls for change at the RNC intensified, with conservative activists like Charlie Kirk leading efforts to address issues and redirect anger over recent electoral setbacks.
As discussions about McDaniel’s leadership took place behind closed doors, disagreements arose over whether the losses were due to bad candidates or a lack of financial backing. The internal review draft, leaked but not publicly released, reportedly did not mention Trump. McDaniel’s call for unity around Trump as the “eventual nominee” faced challenges, including a proposal to declare Trump the presumptive nominee at the winter meetings, which was later scrapped following pushback from Trump himself. Trump’s rival, Nikki Haley, highlighted this incident on the campaign trail, emphasizing concerns about the party’s fairness.
Sabotage Suspected: Denmark Closes Investigation into Nord Stream Pipeline Explosions
