President Trump is moving to maintain command and control of the Republican National Committee after he leaves the White House by endorsing Ronna McDaniel for a third term as chairwoman.
The RNC traditionally operates independently without a Republican in the White House, in part to fulfill its role as a neutral organizer of the presidential primary. But Republican insiders said Trump’s decision to back McDaniel for another term as RNC chairwoman is a clear play to retain an iron grip on the committee after his term gives way to President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20.
The president has not ruled out a 2024 bid, and power over the RNC and influence with the national party’s state affiliates could give him a distinct advantage over opponents in the next primary. Sources confirmed Thursday that McDaniel plans to seek another two years atop the RNC when the committee convenes for leadership elections early next year.
“Donald Trump is going to be a force in the Republican Party, and the politics of the nation, as long as he wants to be,” said Charlie Gerow, a Republican operative in Pennsylvania.
Jim Brulte, the former chairman of the California GOP, said McDaniel has earned another term, regardless of the motivations behind Trump’s endorsement. “Ronna is highly regarded by almost every member the RNC,” he said. “She was a [Michigan] party chair, so she knows what state parties struggle with and what state parties need to do to help their candidates be successful.”
Trump has not conceded to Biden, claiming massive voter fraud and ballot malfeasance, with the RNC fighting in court in several states in support of the president’s long-shot attempt to overturn the election results. That effort is proceeding with the broad approval of the 168 voting members who will elect the next RNC chairman, effectively muting any concern some of them might have about the lengths Trump is going to keep the committee under his thumb post-presidency.
To the extent RNC members are looking ahead, they appear to be roughly divided into three camps.
The first group is worried about Trump’s plan to commandeer the RNC and turn it into his personal political committee with rules written to grease his renomination — as it naturally functioned for him in 2020 and for previous Republican incumbents in their reelection campaigns. They are committed to the RNC holding a traditional open primary that would welcome Trump but also facilitate the participation of a new batch of presidential contenders in 2024.
“This is totally [messed] up,” a veteran Republican operative said. “Someone has to take [McDaniel] on and challenge his stranglehold on the party.”
Among the other two camps of RNC members, one is ambivalent, at least for the moment.
The other is enthusiastically pro-Trump and would welcome his deep involvement. They point to the coattails Trump’s candidacy provided down-ballot Republicans and the substantial gains the president made with non-white voters. With votes still being tallied nationwide, Trump will have received the second-most in American presidential history behind Biden — and the highest ever for a GOP nominee.
This camp could wield significant influence. Over the past four years, the Trump campaign worked hard to elect Republican activists loyal to the president to the group of 168 voting members of the RNC.
Some Republican insiders say too much significance is being placed on Trump’s swift endorsement of McDaniel, which came before she publicly announced her candidacy.
Trump could end up less interested in the day-to-day operations of the committee once he leaves the White House, even if his current plan is to exert control. It also is possible that RNC members will take care to preserve the party’s independence from Trump, or any potential 2024 candidate, once the president signals that he has accepted that the door to reelection is closed, a development that might be sped along by the emergence of GOP White House hopefuls.
“He will have significant influence depending on the role he will want to play,” said Saul Anuzis, a former RNC member from Michigan. “As other presidential contenders emerge, his influence over the committee will decrease.”
