he announced on Monday.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Michael Whatley for Republican National Committee chair and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump for co-chair.
President Trump endorsed Whatley in a statement Monday night, citing his commitment to “election integrity.” Whatley was an ardent supporter of Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Trump also nominated one of his senior advisers, Chris Lacivita, to be chief operating officer.
In a statement to ABC News, President Trump said: “This group of people are extremely talented, experienced and smart people. I fully and completely support them in leading the Republican National Committee.” Stated.
The news of Trump's endorsement came as Trump was discussing the possibility of resigning with current Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, according to people familiar with their conversations. revealed.
However, in response to Trump's endorsement of the new party leadership, the RNC issued its own statement stating that Chairman McDaniel would resign from his post until after the South Carolina Republican primary on February 24th. He said he would not announce any future plans.
“Chairman McDaniel has been instrumental in getting Republicans on the ballot and will continue to work hard to defeat Biden this fall. “No decisions or announcements will be made regarding plans,” an RNC spokesperson said.
Trump's endorsement comes amid slow progress in the RNC's fundraising for the 2024 election cycle, with just $8 million in the bank in January 2024 and Democratic rivals The party had $21 million on hand.
Part of the reason is that the Democratic National Committee has a fundraising advantage over the RNC due to its ability to co-fundraise with incumbent President Joe Biden's re-election campaign.
During the 2020 campaign, the RNC and Trump campaign boasted a massive joint fundraising campaign, raising more than $1.6 billion over two years. Currently, the RNC and Trump are raising money separately.
President Trump's support for national party leadership and close allies suggests that efforts to unify his campaign and the RNC are imminent, allowing the two parties to work together. It will be possible to raise funds.
The Community Chest also means the RNC could begin covering Trump's legal costs over the years, from when he was president until after he leaves office and when he declares his candidacy for the 2024 election. I've done something similar.
President Trump appeared to mention the possibility of a community chest when announcing his support, saying, “Every penny will be well spent. A new day.”
ABC News' Isabella Murray contributed to this report.
