Trump endorses daughter-in-law Lara Trump for RNC leadership

Donald Trump has given his endorsement to his daughter-in-law to lead the Republican National Committee (RNC).

Mr Trump voiced his support for Lara Trump and Michael Whatley, chair of North Carolina’s Republican party.

His recent support comes in light of reports indicating his dissatisfaction with the current leadership of the RNC.

The committee is considering a change in leadership if Ronna McDaniel were to resign.

US media has reported that Ms McDaniel may leave her post after the South Carolina Republican primary, scheduled for 24 February.

The RNC is primarily dedicated to raising funds for the party and mobilising Republicans to participate in elections.

Given his status as the leading candidate for the Republican party in the upcoming election, it is expected that Mr. Trump’s endorsement will carry weight among RNC members.

In a Monday evening statement, Mr Trump said Mr Whatley, who currently serves as the committee’s general counsel, “has done a great job in his home state of North Carolina” and that he should be the RNC’s next chair.

He also praised Mr Whatley’s dedication to ensuring the integrity of elections. Mr Whatley has previously championed the former president’s baseless allegations of election fraud in the 2020 election.

For the role of RNC co-chair, Mr Trump said he endorses his “very talented” daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who is married to his son Eric.

“Lara is an extremely talented communicator and is dedicated to all that MAGA stands for,” Mr Trump said.

Ms Trump has a strong track record of collaboration with the RNC and is highly regarded for her ability to raise funds for the committee.

According to party rules, it is required to have both a male and a female leading the RNC.

The former president has also requested Chris LaCivita, the co-manager of his current presidential campaign, to assume the position of RNC’s chief operating officer.

According to a report from Politico, if Mr. Lacivita takes on the role, he will continue to serve as Mr. Trump’s co-campaign manager.

If Mr Trump’s endorsements were to go ahead, it would mean his campaign would be aligned closely with the committee and its operations.

However, his endorsement has not consistently yielded the desired results. Despite receiving an endorsement from Mr. Trump, Mr. Whaley was unsuccessful in his 2023 bid for co-chair.

The push for a change in leadership comes after disagreements between Mr Trump and Ms McDaniel, the current RNC chair, over the Republican primary debates ahead of this year’s election. The former president has declined to take part in any of them.

According to a previous report by The Washington Post, it was stated that Mr. Trump urged Ms. McDaniel to cancel the debates entirely, but she declined.

She has also faced pressure over the party’s poor performance in recent elections and for lacklustre fundraising.

She was expected to serve in her role until 2025, but rumours of her potential resignation surfaced after her meeting with Mr. Trump in Mar-a-Lago last week.

During the meeting, Ms McDaniel assured Mr Trump that she is committed to making decisions that are in the best interest of the party, even if it means resigning from her position.

When questioned by the conservative Newsmax network, Mr. Trump indicated that Ms. McDaniel is aware of the situation and understands the implications.