Jamiesfeast – Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told former President Donald Trump that she would step down later this month, not long after the South Carolina election.
77-year-old Trump is likely to support Michael Whatley, chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, as McDaniel’s replacement after the state’s Feb. 24 primary, sources told the Associated Press Tuesday.
The former president and front-runner in the GOP primary suggested on Monday that McDaniel, 50, should step down after the RNC reported decades-low fundraising numbers for the presidential election year.
In a Newsmax interview, Trump was asked if McDaniel should resign after three straight election cycles of Republicans failing to do well. “I think she knows that; I think she understands that,” Trump said.
Trump hinted in a Truth Social post that he would be “making a decision the day after the South Carolina Primary as to my recommendations for RNC growth.” He called McDaniel a “friend” and praised her work in Michigan during his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton.
Trump reportedly met with McDaniel at his Mar-a-Lago home on the day of the post, according to several news sources.
Apparently, Trump wants Whatley to lead the national party because the North Carolina GOP chair thinks that massive voter fraud happened in the 2020 election, and the former president thinks that Whatley played a big role in winning North Carolina that year.
Concerns about voter fraud have led Whatley to support attempts to make new voting laws. He is also the general counsel for the Republican National Committee.
After McDaniel resigns, the RNC rules say that a new head must be elected.
According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, the RNC had only $8 million in cash on hand as of December 31. This was the lowest amount of cash on hand for the organization since the end of 2014, when it had just over $5 million.
In contrast, Trump’s campaign ended in 2023 with $42 million in cash on hand.
“Not much has changed. About McDaniel’s situation, RNC spokesman Keith Schipper told The Post, “This will be decided after South Carolina.”
The Trump team did not respond to a request for comment from The Post.