Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is vowing the national party will operate independently of President Trump after he leaves office in January.
McDaniel is running for a third, two-year term and was quickly endorsed by Trump. The move prompted apprehension inside the RNC that Trump was angling to maintain his grip on the committee post-presidency as a prelude to stack the deck in his favor should he seek the White House again in 2024. To quell anxiety, McDaniel is now saying publicly what she has been telling RNC members privately — that the party would not advantage Trump in the 2024 primary.
“President Trump received nearly 75 million votes, more than any sitting president in history. He’s the one our party wants to hear from right now,” McDaniel said Monday in a statement. “But, I will continue to ensure the RNC remains completely neutral in competitive Republican primaries as long as I am chair. This is a policy President Trump wants to continue as well.”
Trump’s desire to stay active politically and influence the national party after President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated is unusual. In that regard, McDaniel, the former Michigan GOP chairwoman appointed RNC chairwoman by Trump, surprised members with her decision to seek a third term.
But with Trump’s endorsement discouraging challengers, the typically under-the-radar contest for RNC co-chairman is unfolding as a high-profile proxy fight being waged by committee members who want to ensure the national party operates independently heading into 2024. McDaniel, aware of those anxieties, is inviting a handful of prominent Republicans known to be interested in running for president in 2024 to address the RNC’s winter meeting.
