Ronna McDaniel, Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, has informed former President Donald Trump that she will resign from her position later this month, shortly following the South Carolina primary.
Trump, aged 77, is anticipated to endorse Michael Whatley, Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, as McDaniel’s successor following the primary on February 24, as per sources informed the Associated Press on Tuesday.
The former president and leading candidate in the GOP primaries hinted on Monday that McDaniel, aged 50, should step down from her role, citing the RNC’s reported lowest fundraising numbers in a decade as they enter the presidential election year.
In an interview with Newsmax, Trump responded, “I think she knows that, I think she understands that,” when asked if McDaniel should step down following three election cycles in a row in which the Republicans performed poorly.
Amidst his triumph over Hillary Clinton in 2016, Trump also hinted on Truth Social that he would be “making a decision the day after the South Carolina Primary as to my recommendations for RNC Growth.” He referred to McDaniel as a “friend” and praised her work in Michigan.
According to numerous sources, on the day of the post, Trump and McDaniel had a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Trump prefers Whatley to lead the national party because the North Carolina GOP chair believes there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. The former president also credits Whatley for helping secure North Carolina for him in the same election, as per the New York Times.
Whatley, who also serves as the general counsel at the RNC, supports initiatives for new voting laws to address concerns about fraud.
RNC rules mandate an election for a new leader in case McDaniel resigns.
As of December 31, the RNC had only $8 million in cash, the lowest since it had just over $5 million at the end of 2014, according to Federal Election Commission filings. In contrast, the Trump campaign ended 2023 with $42 million in cash.
