Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel dispelled rumors that she is resigning from her position in a memo sent to RNC members on Wednesday.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that McDaniel told former President Donald Trump that she plans to step down after the South Carolina Republican primary. Wednesday’s memo, obtained by the Daily Caller, tells members that nothing has been decided yet and that McDaniel is still in her position as chairwoman of the party.
“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,” the memo obtained by the Daily Caller begins.
“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,” the memo reads.
NEW: Ronna McDaniel assured members Wednesday that she has not resigned from her position at the RNC and that nothing has been decided on, in a memo obtained by @DailyCaller.
“Myself and my staff are refusing to be distracted by the outside noise…”https://t.co/kFO6C3yf8o
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) February 7, 2024
Trump suggested Sunday in an interview with Fox News that there would be “some changes” coming to the RNC after being asked about McDaniel’s performance. McDaniel has recently come under fire for the party’s financial woes and after the GOP underperformed following big predictions of a “red wave” in the 2022 midterm elections. At the end of 2023, the RNC has about $8 million cash in hand, the lowest it has been since 2014, according to recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.
The RNC Chairwoman previously faced criticism after former Republican Presidential nominee Vivek Ramaswamy called for McDaniel to resign while on stage during a GOP primary debate. Following the call out, many members of the RNC defended McDaniel and her leadership in numerous statements to the Daily Caller.
“I think she did great when she ran Michigan for me,” Trump told “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday. “I think she did okay initially at the RNC. I would say right now, there’ll probably be some changes made.”
Following the interview, the NYT reported Tuesday that McDaniel had told Trump during a Monday meeting that she would be resigning following the South Carolina Republican primary on Feb. 24.
Ahead of McDaniel’s memo, RNC Spokesperson Keith Schipper dismissed the report.
“Nothing has changed. This will be decided after South Carolina,” Schipper said in a tweet.
Some RNC members told the Daily Caller they were surprised to see reports that McDaniel was planning to resign.
“A week ago my conversation with her led me to believe she fully intended to stay on as chairperson until next year when we elect a replacement,” Oscar Brock, an RNC national committeeman from Tennessee and member of the party’s budget committee, told the Daily Caller.
“The first time I heard about it was probably 24 hours ago when I got a text from a reporter saying ‘tell me about the meeting with Ronna and Donald Trump on Monday,'” Brock added. “No, I did not see it coming. Apparently others did.”
Janet Fogarty, an RNC committeewoman from Massachusetts, told the Daily Caller that the only talk she has heard about McDaniel’s potential resignation was from various news articles.
“The only chatter I’ve heard has been from speculation from the media and social media. Nothing from RNC or the members,” Fogarty said. (RELATED: ‘Continually Fail’: GOP To End Debate Season In Disney’s Arms)
“I do believe that Chairman McDaniel is dedicated and committed to winning back the [White House] in [November] and will do whatever she believes is in the best interest for our Party to achieve that end goal,” Fogarty added.
If McDaniel does step down from her position, the NYT reported that Trump is reportedly expected to back North Carolina Republican Party Chair Michael Whatley for the national chairman position. Whatley reportedly appeals to the the former president because he is “a stop the steal guy,” people who have discussed him with Trump told the NYT.
In the event McDaniel resigns, a special election would need to be called for all 168 members of the RNC to vote on a replacement chairman. The RNC and its members just held a major meeting in Las Vegas to kick off the election year, but no change was announced.
“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,” the memo says.