President Donald Trump has been leaning on the Republican Party to revert to Republican values since 2016. MAGA supporters and conservative Republicans have voiced that the time for new leadership and a return to the values of the Republican Party is now.
Although Trump has the numbers and the hearts of a majority of the American people, the GOP has seemed to be behind runner-up Nikki Haley. Going into the next primary in South Carolina, there has been a now-or-never feeling about Haley, as she is the former governor of that state. All indicators are that Haley will trail Trump in South Carolina.
And now it seems that the GOP chairwoman has decided that the outcome of that primary is written and that it is a good time for her to step down.
800 illegal aliens from Islamic-majority African nations, the Middle East and India, marching from the Border Patrol tent facility to the Lukeville port of entry. Next ones to ambush American cops? Never know. From my 7 weeks camped in Lukeville. #border #BorderCrisis #BorderBill… pic.twitter.com/aDMzJvaOdS
— Just Jeff From Cali (@liberty_clarion) January 31, 2024
The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, has told former President Donald J. Trump she is planning to step down shortly after the South Carolina primary on Feb. 24, according to two people familiar with the plans, the New York Times reports.
Trump is then likely to promote the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, Michael Whatley, as her replacement, according to several people familiar with the discussions, according to the Times.
Trump likes Whatley, and according to people who have discussed him with the former president, he is “a stop the steal guy,” as one of the people described him. Watley is not afraid to speak out about the 2020 election and the fraudulent voting claims that are now in the courts. Trump reportedly gives some credit to Whatley for his success in North Carolina, a 2020 swing state, in the election.
This is from an almost 6-hour live stream I did on the border in Lukeville, AZ, during my 7 weeks camped there. Border agents were furious with Biden. Worst day ever. Maybe 1500 illegal aliens from Africa, Syria & India crossed. Almost mass brawls & stampedes. It was insane. pic.twitter.com/rhPpbV0Qu9
— Just Jeff From Cali (@liberty_clarion) January 23, 2024
Whatley is currently the general counsel at the Republican National Committee and has endorsed efforts to develop new voting laws. This is one of Trump’s key points going into the 2024 election. Trump’s team is focused on hiring teams of poll watchers, which the North Carolina G.O.P. did during the midterms in 2022.
Ahead of the South Carolina primary, McDaniel and Trump met at Mar-a-Lago on Monday. Trump posted on social media after the meeting, giving hints that changes are coming. McDaniel has faced massive criticism from conservative Republicans, and Trump indicated that she knew it was time for a change.
“I think she knows that,” Mr. Trump told Newsmax in an interview that ran shortly after his meeting with Ms. McDaniel, when asked if it was time for her to step aside. “I think she understands that.”
A woman with the NGO Samaritanos Sin Fronteras talks to illegal aliens from all over the world in Lukeville, Arizona. She was with a guy from the NGO Humane Borders who was filling water tanks. Blue flags at the water stations lead illegal aliens to BP pick-up spots. The water… pic.twitter.com/PIGjFydkEI
— Just Jeff From Cali (@liberty_clarion) January 30, 2024
A press officer for the Republican National Committee did not respond to requests for comment. A senior adviser to Mr. Trump, Jason Miller, said in a statement, “Any speculation beyond the president’s post on Truth is just that—speculation.”
The Times noted that behind the scenes, there has been lobbying for the party chairmanship even before an opening became public. And election-year staff changes have been expected at the committee for a while. The party rules designate one male and one female co-chair, and current South Carolinian Drew McKissock holds that seat.
McKissick reportedly spoke with Mr. Trump in recent days and expressed his interest in the job of chairman if Ms. McDaniel were to leave, according to three people briefed on his thinking, but the clues are that Trump prefers Whatley.
Several prominent Republican activists have begun lobbying against potential replacements as co-chairwomen. For instance, Laura Loomer, who supports Mr. Trump, is publicly opposing Jessica Patterson, the chair of the California Republican Party, for that position.
The Times also noted that Charlie Kirk, the founder of the influential group Turning Point USA, who has lobbied publicly to remove Ms. McDaniel, suggested last week in an interview that some Trump family members—including Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law—could be potential picks for party leadership posts.
Not only McDaniel, but others in the RNC seem to be stepping out. On Tuesday, the chief of staff to the Republican National Committee, Mike Reed, announced his departure in an email to staff. Although Reed had accepted a new position in the private sector months ago, he is leaving in timing with McDaniel.
Ahead of the South Carolina primary, GOP favorite Nikki Haley failed to beat “none of these candidates” in Nevada. The absence of Trump on the ballot did not create the massive win for Haley that the GOP surely hoped. The ambiguous selection received 61.2% of the votes in Nevada’s primary, with Haley only receiving 32.4%, according to Just the News.
Mike Pence received 4% in Nevada, and Tim Scott received 1.4%.
It is possible that Haley’s embarrassing numbers in Nevada have prompted the GOP to give in to America’s choice and support Trump over Haley, hence McDaniel’s meeting with Trump. It seems the GOP knows who they will be dealing with during the next four years after the November election.