Donald Trump , the former US President, has given his daughter-in-law his support to lead the Republican National Committee (RNC). Trump expressed his support for Lara Trump and Michael Whatley, the Republican Party chair for North Carolina. His support on Monday came as rumors circulated that he was becoming dissatisfied with the RNC’s present leadership .
Nepo baby. Trump has endorsed his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, for RNC Co-Chair. He calls her “very talented”. It looks like all of her ass kissing finally paid off. pic.twitter.com/4M2Vbh4QZr
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) February 13, 2024
As reported by The Guardian , since Ronna McDaniel, the RNC’s head and chairperson since 2017, informed the former US president that she would be stepping down last week, there has been a noticeable amount of instability inside the organization that oversees the party’s elections . Trump announced on social media late on Monday that he is supporting Lara Trump to be the co-chair of the committee, senior advisor Chris LaCivita to be its chief financial officer, and Michael Whatley, the head of the North Carolina Republican Party, to lead it.
Trump stated, “This group of three is highly talented, battle-tested, and smart. They have my complete and total endorsement to lead the Republican National Committee.” He added, “My very talented daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, has agreed to run as the RNC Co-Chair. Lara is an extremely talented communicator and is dedicated to all that MAGA stands for.”
“This is gonna be a hot mess” @MichaelSteele on the prospect of Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law becoming the new RNC Co-Chair pic.twitter.com/t0Udhw8tJx
— MSNBC Reports (@MSNBC_reports) February 13, 2024
Trump also added that Whatley “has been with me from the beginning, has done a great job in his home state of North Carolina, and is committed to election integrity, which we must have to keep fraud out of our election so it can’t be stolen.” Trump’s fabricated assertions that he won the 2020 presidential election have Whatley’s backing. To organize the RNC’s “day-to-day operations so it will become a fighting machine for 2024,” Trump said, he had also requested Chris LaCivita to take on the position of main operating officer.
Lacivita will continue to serve as Trump’s co-campaign manager even if he accepts the post, according to Politico . Should Trump’s endorsements materialize, his campaign would have a strong working relationship with the group and its functions. Nevertheless, his endorsement hasn’t always been successful. Despite Trump’s prior backing, Whaley’s 2023 campaign to be co-chair was unsuccessful.
The need for a leadership transition stems from arguments between Trump and McDaniel, the current chair of the Republican National Committee, about the Republican primary debates that took place before this year’s election. The previous president has declined to take part in any of them.
According to earlier reports from The Washington Post , McDaniel was pressured by Trump to call off the debates entirely, but she refused. She has also been under criticism because of the party’s dismal fundraising and recent election results.
In 2023, the RNC raised $87 million and had $8 million in cash on hand after the year. Compared to the Democratic National Committee, which raised $120 million and had $20 million in the bank, it was significantly less. A total of $117 million has been accumulated by the Democratic National Committee, President Joe Biden’s campaign, and other groups supporting his reelection. At year’s end, Trump’s campaign had $33 million.