Donald Trump Plans RNC Shake-Up After Meeting Ronna McDaniel

Former President Donald Trump met with the Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and announced his intention to recommend changes within the RNC following the South Carolina GOP primary on Feb. 24.

The Meeting

The meeting took place at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and was confirmed by insiders. Trump described McDaniel as his "friend" but indicated that he would be pushing for changes to the committee's leadership and operations. Despite handpicking McDaniel to lead the RNC shortly after his 2016 election, Trump has recently criticized the committee for hosting primary debates featuring his Republican rivals, debates in which he refused to participate.

Concerns and Criticism

Trump emphasized the need for the RNC to prioritize issues related to voter integrity and expressed concerns about the committee's financial standing compared to the Democratic National Committee. With the RNC ending 2023 with just $8 million in cash on hand, less than half as much as the Democratic National Committee, there are growing concerns over the party's finances heading into the general election.

Leadership Shake-Up

Despite serving as the RNC chair since 2017, McDaniel has faced criticism from conservative activists, particularly those aligned with the pro-Trump group Turning Point USA, who view her as too closely aligned with the party establishment. The potential for a shake-up within the RNC raises the possibility of a new leadership election should McDaniel step down or the introduction of a Trump-endorsed candidate to lead the committee.