(LifeSiteNews) — Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel is denying reports she will resign in the next several weeks, following criticism by President Donald Trump.
Trump, who endorsed her to run the Republican Party following his upset victory in 2016, had suggested “changes” would affect McDaniel during an interview last Sunday on Fox News. “I think she did great when she ran Michigan for me. I think she did OK, initially, in the RNC. I would say right now, there’ll probably be some changes made,” Trump said on Sunday.
There were reports that McDaniel told Trump the following day she would resign, but that story has been called into question.
McDaniel formerly served as the chair of the Michigan Republican Party when the state surprisingly went for Trump in 2016. She is the niece of liberal GOP Senator Mitt Romney of Utah. GOP chairs are elected by the 168 voting members of the party but typically need the backing of the president, or former president, in this case. She reportedly planned to step down after the Feb. 24 South Carolina primary.
However, McDaniel reportedly sent an email yesterday that told members to ignore “rumors.”
“Nothing has changed and there will not be any changes decided on until after South Carolina, when we may have our eventual nominee,” she apparently wrote in an email shared by Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk.
NEW—Ronna McDaniel just sent out an email denying reports that she’s agreed to step down, saying “rumors to the contrary are simply not true. Nothing has changed,” and that nothing will be decided until “after South Carolina.”
An inside source tells me this is the RNC’s attempt… pic.twitter.com/5yyoVh78gj
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 7, 2024
McDaniel has largely been loyal to Trump but has come under criticism for the Party’s failures since taking over. She also drew criticism from grassroots conservatives for launching a GOP “Pride Coalition” in 2021.
“Conservatives in Log Cabin [a homosexual Republican group] don’t just share our vision for a free, secure and prosperous America — they enrich it by adding unique perspectives to our party and recruiting even more diverse candidates and supporters to join our cause,” she said at the time. That led Family Research Council President Tony Perkins to call for her resignation.
READ: Pro-family leader calls on GOP chairwoman to resign over ‘Pride Coalition’
However, McDaniel has also been willing to push for a federal abortion ban, something Trump has not been clear about.
In a November 2023 interview, following a disappointing night in Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky, McDaniel said abortion can be dealt with at a federal level and candidates should speak clearly and not let Democrats define the issue. However, she also called for only “common-sense limits” such as a 15-week federal ban, which would save only around 6 or 7 percent of babies from abortion. “We can’t just say it’s a states issue,” McDaniel said, recognizing that Democrats will push for federal support for abortion.
The Republican Party has continued to fight for election integrity, filing around 70 lawsuits to protect the ballot, under her leadership.
However, the party has failed to garner electoral success. “Since McDaniel’s election in 2017, the party has suffered through a Democratic landslide in 2018, former President Trump’s defeat and a Democratic Senate takeover in 2020, and a ‘red wave’ that failed to materialize in 2022,” Axios previously reported.
Conservatives had celebrated the possibility of McDaniel resigning.
Now that Ronna is stepping down later this month, I want to make a few points clear.
I have said repeatedly my opposition to Ronna as Chair was nothing personal. She has always been kind to me personally and I’m sure there is a role for her to play in the future. I genuinely…
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 7, 2024
“I have said repeatedly my opposition to Ronna as Chair was nothing personal. She has always been kind to me personally and I’m sure there is a role for her to play in the future. I genuinely wish her well. I just want to win,” Kirk wrote on Feb. 6.
He also called on GOP and conservatives to build a better election infrastructure.
READ: GOP McLeadership – McConnell, McCarthy, McDaniel – failed the party, not Trump
“This is a win, but it’s only the first step out of 100 others. Next steps are critical. The RNC must put into leadership people who understand 1) fundraising and 2) the grassroots — these are state and county chairs, precinct captains, local grassroots orgs etc. This is the heart and soul of the party and they love Trump. They are suspicious of the establishment,” Kirk said. “New leadership must not alienate these wonderful people by behaving like a country club clique. This is not the end of the battle. It’s just the beginning. I am excited about the future, but now we must execute.”
“Better late than never. No more losing,” former 2024 candidate Vivek Ramaswamy wrote on Feb. 6, along with a video of him from a debate calling on McDaniel to resign.
Bannon: [Re:] Ronna McDaniel, I hope people are taking action. I would like that settled today or tomorrow. She’s got to go. Absolutely no one’s gonna give money to the RNC… pic.twitter.com/Jr0Lqdu3ec
— Grace Chong 🇺🇸 (@gc22gc) February 5, 2024
“I hope people are taking action. I would like that settled today or tomorrow. She’s got to go. Absolutely no one’s gonna give money to the RNC,” Steve Bannon commented.