When Ronna McDaniel was re-elected as chair of the Republican National Committee a year ago, it was a triumph of sorts for the incumbent. McDaniel easily defeated a credible challenger, and she was positioned to be the longest-serving RNC chair since the 19th century. At that point, her plan was to serve a full term, which positioned McDaniel to help steer the party through the 2024 elections.
Of course, in the era of Donald Trump, plans change.
In recent weeks, multiple reports indicated that the RNC chair would step down from her role after South Carolina’s presidential primary. As NBC News reported, the intraparty chatter was correct.
Ronna McDaniel said Monday that she will step down next month as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee following former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of a new slate of leaders to direct the party. … McDaniel’s decision was first reported by The New York Times.
RNC Co-Chair Drew McKissick is also stepping down. His announcement coincided with a tweet that read, “‘Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.’ — Proverbs 26:20.”
The developments are not altogether surprising. On the contrary, the question wasn’t whether the RNC chair would step down, but rather, when.
McDaniel’s tenure has seen its share of setbacks. As regular readers know, after Trump chose her for the RNC role in early 2017, McDaniel’s first election cycle was rough: The party lost 40 House seats and its majority in the chamber.
The party also saw its share of struggles in 2019 and 2020. The 2022 midterms were far from great for Republicans, too.
Making matters slightly worse, the 2024 cycle wasn’t exactly going the RNC’s way, either. McDaniel pleaded with Trump to participate in the party’s presidential primary debates, and he ignored her. The RNC urged other leading presidential hopefuls not to participate in a recent Family Leader forum in Iowa, and they ignored the party, too.
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