(ConservativeSense.com) – Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna McDaniel is stepping down following a meeting with Donald Trump. McDaniel said she would remain in post until after the primary elections in South Carolina, and former President Trump said he would decide on his recommendations for her replacement after the Palmetto State polls. The New York Times speculated that Mr. Trump may choose North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley as the new chair.
The decision follows months of criticism surrounding the GOP’s lackluster results over the past few years, as well as funding decreases. Speaking to Maria Bartiromo, Trump said, “I think she did great when she ran Michigan for me. I think she did OK initially in the RNC.” He added, however, that there will be “changes” in the future.
The RNC suffered one of its worst-ever fundraising years in 2023, raising $87.2 million, compared with the $119 amassed by the Democrats. Nevertheless, she was re-elected to the chair’s role last January, defeating Harmeet Dhillon by 111 to 51. McDaniel decisively won the election despite vocal opposition from key conservative public figures, including Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Charlie Kirk, who openly opposed her re-election.
Dhillon had to distance her campaign from some of these commentators, particularly when a Tennessee GOP committee member told her that Kirk’s support was prompting people to back off. She was forced to assure voters that Kirk would not be on her staff.
McDaniel, who is the niece of fierce Trump critic Senator Mitt Romney, served as head of Michigan RNC when Mr. Trump narrowly won the state in 2016, creating a loyal relationship between the two. Trump continues to refer to McDaniel as a “friend,” but after her meeting with the former President in Mar-a-Lago, she said she would do what is in the best interests of the Republican Party.
The chairwoman has led the RNC since 2017, and since then, the GOP has lost seven Governors, three Senate seats, and 19 House seats.
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