Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is reportedly considering stepping down from her position amid pressure from former United States President Donald Trump.
The decision would allow the Republican businessman to install his own party chair to replace McDaniel. A person familiar with the matter said that the RNC chair also discussed her plans to step down with the former president.
RNC Chair To Step Down
In a statement on Tuesday night, RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper said that "nothing has changed," adding that the matter will be decided after the South Carolina primary. McDaniel's offer to step down from her position comes amid escalating tensions with Trump.
The Republican, who is the frontrunner in the GOP nomination, and his team have begun quietly floating names to replace her. It was previously reported that North Carolina Republican Party chairman Michael Whatlet and South Carolina Republican Party chairman Drew McKissick were among the individuals who were being looked at.
The former, who serves as general counsel of the RNC, has a strong relationship with the former president. Despite this, the Republican businessman is not capable of unilaterally installing him into the position, as per CNN.
While the former president can give his endorsement, which would serve to bolster a contender's chances of being appointed, only RNC committee members can elect McDaniel's replacement for the position.
McKissick and Whatley did not reply to requests for comments regarding the matter. Furthermore, Florida Sen. Joe Gruters, who is a longtime Trump supporter, is also among the list of candidates.
Trump previously endorsed Gruters and Whatley for officer positions within the committee, but they both lost their respective bids. The idea of McDaniel stepping down ahead of the party picking a 2024 presidential nominee is highly unusual.
A Shift in the Party
The RNC chair's relationship with the former president has continued to sour over the GOP primary debates that featured Trump's challengers this fall. The Republican businessman had wanted McDaniel to cancel them but she declined, according to the Washington Post.
On the other hand, Trump's campaign has become increasingly frustrated with McDaniel's leadership, arguing that she has led the RNC to lackluster fundraising. The former president also said that the RNC chair was not doing enough on "election integrity."
The situation comes as the RNC's chief of staff, Mike Reed announced on Tuesday that he plans to step down from his position as well. He has privately told confidants for a long time that he plans to leave the RNC after the committee's winter meeting that is set to be held this past weekend in Las Vegas.
Even behind the scenes, there have already been lobbying for the party chairmanship before the issue became public. Furthermore, election-year staff changes have been expected at the committee for a while now.
If Trump does pick a new male chairman, it means that the role of co-chairwoman would open up, as the committee requires one male and one female co-chair. With this, many Republican activists have already started lobbying over that potential slot, according to the New York Times.
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