Trump Calls For Resignation Of RNC Chair

It looks like Ronna McDaniel’s time as the head of the Republican National Committee is about to come to an end.

Earlier this week, a report emerged that McDaniel offered to step aside after the South Carolina primary is held later in February so that former President Donald Trump could install a party chair that aligns with his vision.

Now, Trump himself is saying that he believes a new leader at the RNC is needed.

During an appearance on Newsmax on Monday, Trump was asked whether he believed McDaniel should step away from her position. He responded:

“I think she knows that. I think she understands that. As far as me, as far as I’m concerned … almost 100% of the Republicans I endorse win. In the midterms, out of 253 endorsements, I won 222 races.”

Trump seemed to be referencing the poor performance of Republican candidates in recent elections. While McDaniel has been at the helm of the RNC for four terms — making her one of the longest-serving chairs in its history — she has taken a lot of criticism for how the GOP has fared in the last three election cycles.

Many of Trump’s biggest allies have called for McDaniel to resign from her post, including Vivek Ramasamy, a former 2024 GOP presidential candidate who has endorsed Trump.

Last year, Trump privately backed McDaniel as she ran for her fourth term as RNC chair. That happened even after the poor showing during the 2022 midterm elections, where the predicted “red wave” never happened — with Democrats increasing their majority in the Senate and Republicans only capturing a small majority in the House.

Over the weekend, Trump told Fox News that “there will probably be some changes made” at the RNC. He referenced McDaniel when he said:

“I think she did great when she ran Michigan for me [in 2016]. I think she did OK initially in the RNC.”

Now, though, the RNC is struggling, to say the least.

As of the end of 2023, the RNC only had about $8 million in cash on hand, according to filings from the Federal Election Commission. That marks the least amount of cash it’s had on hand since it had around $5 million at the conclusion of 2014.

By contrast, Trump’s own campaign had $42 million cash on hand at the end of last year.

Trump was specifically asked about the cash flow issue that the RNC seems to have. He said:

“I have a lot of money. … The money that they get, people are not looking at the RNC. They want — they want changes. … You have to understand, I have nothing to do with the RNC. I don’t — I’m separate.”

Earlier this week, he took to his Truth Social platform to write that after the South Carolina primary is held on February 24, he’ll be making recommendations about how the RNC can grow.

That will likely include a new person to lead the RNC.