Former President Donald Trump endorsed several candidates for chair and vice chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) amid rumors that RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel would resign following the South Carolina primary later this month. The move could shake up the RNC following several successive electoral disappointments.
Trump endorsed the North Carolina Republican Party Chair Michael Whatley for RNC chair and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump for RNC vice chair. He also announced his support for his campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the the GOP national committee.
Trump is reportedly impressed with Whatley’s statements regarding the 2020 election.
The former president said that Whatley had “been with me from the beginning, has done a great job in his home state of North Carolina and is committed to election integrity, which we must have to keep fraud out of our election, so it can’t be stolen.”
Whatley comes with significant experience. He has served as the chair of the North Carolina Republican Party for the last five years. Previously he served as a federal law clerk and in the administration of former President George W. Bush. He was also the chief of staff of former Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and also served in the Trump-Pence 2016 campaign and transition team.
#BREAKING: Trump announces his picks to replace Ronna McDaniel and her top lieutenants:
– NC GOP's Michael Whatley for RNC chair
– Daughter-in-law Lara Trump as RNC co-chair
– Trump campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita as COO of the RNC pic.twitter.com/aWdYYbcUEh— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 13, 2024
Trump said that his daughter-in-law is an “extremely talented communicator and is dedicated to all that MAGA stands for.” He added that Lara Trump told him that “she wants to accept this challenge and would be GREAT!”
The former president also praised LaCivita, saying that he would “manage the RNC’s day-to-day operations, so it will become a fighting machine for 2024 and use all the tools available to win for the American people.”
The proposed team, he said, were “highly talented, battle-tested and smart” with his “complete and total endorsement.
The former president’s statements came after a number of leading Republicans called for McDaniel to step down. Some conservatives argued that the GOP’s relatively lackluster 2022 election results were due to McDaniel’s management of the party.
