Ronna McDaniel, leader of the Republican Party, announced her resignation on Monday amidst pressure from the party’s presumed 2024 nominee, Donald Trump, signaling a significant power shift within the GOP. This move underscores Trump’s continued influence as he gears up for a potential rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden later this year.
Following Trump’s decisive victory in South Carolina’s primary on February 5, where he defeated former Governor Nikki Haley, he expressed his intention to instigate changes within the Republican National Committee (RNC).
Trump endorsed Michael Whatley, the North Carolina Republican Party Chair, as the next RNC chair, and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump as co-chair, solidifying his hold over the organization. Whatley, known for echoing Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, is poised to assume leadership.
McDaniel’s departure, effective March 8 after the RNC’s spring meeting, comes amid concerns over the party’s fundraising and electoral performance.
Despite McDaniel’s reelection last year to a fourth term as RNC chair, financial disclosures revealed a cash shortage, with the RNC holding just $8 million at the end of December, its lowest level in a decade.
Additionally, the Democratic National Committee surpassed the RNC in fundraising, exacerbating concerns within Republican ranks.
During a contentious meeting with Trump on February 5, McDaniel cautioned him about the diversion of donors’ funds to Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization led by Charlie Kirk, further straining the RNC’s financial position.
As Trump seeks to tighten his grip on party leadership, internal dissent has emerged within the RNC. Resolutions have been proposed to prevent the party from using funds to cover Trump’s legal expenses amid his ongoing legal battles.
Despite Trump’s endorsement of McDaniel in 2016, following her pivotal role in delivering Michigan to him in that year’s election, tensions between Trump and the Romney family persist, with Mitt Romney, now a Utah senator, condemning Trump as a “phony, a fraud” in 2016.
