Ronna McDaniel Had A Party Ee I Ee I … Go! (Maybe)
In honor of Super Bowl week, I draw this comparison for what is taking place with Ronna McDaniel. There are countless defensive and offensive coordinators that are great at their jobs. Yet, when promoted to head coaching positions, they fail. Not everyone is meant to be a head coach, and Ronna McDaniel was never meant to be the Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee.
Many people, including Donald Trump, supported McDaniel when she handled Michigan for him. Call it a blind spot, or maybe even wishful thinking because, she has a solid RINO bloodline by being Mitt Romney’s niece. Still, the glow of handling one state brought her the chair, but that shine never carried over when the other 49 were added.
McDaniel seems to have become the latest example of the Peter Principal, promoted to the level of her incompetence. One of the prime duties of any chairperson is to handle the party’s finances through fundraising and to organize a ground game in order to strategically represent the party’s candidates. However, even though the Republican Party gained two Senate seats they lost 40 in the House during the 2018 midterms, lost both chambers of Congress and the presidency in 2020, and underperformed in 2022.
In November 2023, the GOP governing body reported its lowest bank balance at that point in any year since 2016, disclosures to the Federal Election Commission showed. With $9.96 million in spending money, the RNC had less than half the $21.35 million it reported in the year Trump won the presidential election.
Recently, her campaign finance disclosures were criticized again when they revealed that the RNC had just $8 million on hand and $1 million in debt. Still, Iowa RNC member Steve Scheffler came to her defense saying:
“With what the mission of the RNC is, I think she’s done a good job.” He went on to explain that national party fundraising typically falls behind individual campaign spending during competitive primaries, “But whatever Trump decides to do, I’ll be supportive of that.”
In 2023 McDaniel was challenged by former vice chairwoman of the California Republican Party, and a National Committeewoman of the Republican National Committee for California, Harmeet Dhillon. In that election McDaniel garnered 111 votes to Dhillon’s 51.
With the money issues and tension within the party over whether McDaniel should stay or leave, the New York Times reported that McDaniel told Donald Trump in a private meeting at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, that she would resign from her post after the Feb. 24 South Carolina GOP primary. NBC News has not confirmed this report, and two sources said no decisions have been made yet. The RNC also denied it in a statement.
Prior to the New York Times report, Trump had prompted speculation over the past week about McDaniel’s future with the party. Over the weekend, he said “some changes” would take place within the RNC if he is the Republican nominee, and on Monday night, he acknowledged something is coming, but likely not until after the South Carolina primary.
NBC News reported on Tuesday that Trump’s campaign is actually considering two plans for taking over the RNC. One includes creating two additional co-chair jobs with individuals he would appoint. One would oversee fundraising, and another would oversee party operations. Under that scenario, McDaniel would remain as RNC chair, but since those are the two major roles of a chairperson, McDaniels role and duties are unclear. The second option would have McDaniel resigning after the South Carolina GOP primary on Feb. 24th, which would prompt a special election.
Then yesterday, with all of the speculation swirling around her, McDaniel sent a message to members telling them that she is “still hard at work” amid the reports that she may not be in her job much longer.
Her full message said:
Members,
With a news cycle full of palace intrigue and speculation surrounding all of us, I want to take the time to reassure all of you that I am still hard at work as RNC Chairwoman and building a machine that will elect Republicans up and down the ballot in November.
I am currently on the road fundraising, we’re staffing up with staff on the ground in 15 states, the team is busy making phone calls and knocking doors to get out the vote for Mazi Pilip in NY-03, with Early Voting open and the Special Election on February 13. We have more lawsuits on the horizon, but we’re currently engaged in 77 election lawsuits across 23 states, many of which will have major ramifications across the country. Day in and day out, we continue to hold Joe Biden and Democrats’ feet to the fire for their continued assaults on our freedoms and failures, on everything from the border crisis, Bidenomics, and skyrocketing crime.
Myself and my staff are refusing to be distracted by the outside noise and we remain committed to our mission — rumors to the contrary are simply not true. Nothing has changed and there will not be any changes decided on until after South Carolina, when we may have our eventual nominee.
I want to thank you for your outpouring messages of support, I am proud of this Committee and our work together over the past several cycles. I know you all are working diligently in your states alongside state, local, and grassroots leaders towards victory this fall. I also know that we’re not done yet, there’s a lot of work to be done in the next nine months to make Joe Biden a one term President, and we’re just getting started.
As always, feel free to reach out to me, Mike, or anyone on my team with any questions or needs you may have.
Thanks,
Ronna
Fox News Digital has learned that Former President Trump has recommended North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley to replace RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel after the South Carolina Primary.
A source familiar with the story told Fox News Digital that there will be “a change” in leadership at the Republican National Committee after the Feb. 24 South Carolina Primary. The source told Fox News Digital that Trump is pushing for Whatley to replace McDaniel because he was “so powerful on election fraud” in 2020.
Whether McDaniel resigns or not, the GOP needs to get its ship in order. The Democrats have repeatedly proven that there is “honor among thieves” and it is time for Republicans to prove that they can demonstrate the same continuity.
