Report: RNC Chairwoman McDaniel Plans to Step Down
Facts
- On Monday, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel reportedly discussed the possibility of resigning from her position during a private meeting with former Pres. Donald Trump.1
- Trump on Tuesday on Truth Social called McDaniel a 'friend,' while also writing that a decision concerning his 'recommendations for RNC Growth' would be made after this month's Republican South Carolina primary.2
- Then in a Tuesday interview with Newsmax, Trump said that McDaniel 'knows' she hasn't been very good at her job through two election cycles and 'she understands that.'3
- Meanwhile, McDaniel on Wednesday sent a message to RNC members saying she is 'still hard at work...building a machine that will elect Republicans up and down the ballot in November.' She also described rumors about her imminent resignation as 'simply not true' and wrote that any changes to RNC leadership would be decided after South Carolina.4
- During this 2023-24 election cycle, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has raised approximately $315M compared to the RNC's $257M and holds $21M cash in hand compared to the RNC's $8M.5
- McDaniel is a four-term RNC chair, having been first elected to the position in 2017. Previously, McDaniel served as the Michigan GOP chair, including in 2016, when the state voted Republican in the presidential election for the first time since 1988.6
Sources: 1Associated Press, 2Truth Social, 3Forbes, 4NBC, 5Ballotpedia and 6gop.com.
Narratives
- Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by WLT Report. After years of poor electoral results despite excessive spending, it's time for McDaniel to go. With McDaniel gone, Trump can help pick a genuine America First replacement who will better support the former and future president.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by CNN. McDaniel's upcoming departure shows how much the GOP is in thrall to Trump. The RNC seemingly has lost all self-respect and will accept nothing less than unequivocal support for Trump — forcing McDaniel to take the fall for the party's failures.