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Update: 10:19 p.m. Tuesday -- Michigan's Ronna McDaniel has told former President Donald J. Trump she plans to step down as chair of the Republican National Committee shortly after the South Carolina primary on Feb. 24, the New York Times reports, citing two unnamed people familiar with the plans.
The publication reports that Trump will likely to promote the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, Michael Whatley, as her replacement.
Trump and McDaniel have privately clashed for some time now. On Monday, he indicated during an interview with Newsmax that he wanted her to step down.
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Posted Tuesday Morning
It's not easy being head of the Republican National Committee these days. Just ask Ronna McDaniel, aka Ronna Romney McDaniel.
McDaniel, 50, of Northville, is regarded as a likeable person, but has clashed with Trump over the years. While her job is to suppport the nominee, she's privately not Trump's biggest fan.
With all that said, Trump sent mixed signals on Monday, first suggesting in an interview with Newsmax that she should step aside, according to the Washington Post. He later wrote on Truth Social that she's a friend and said he'll decide her fate after the South Carolina primary on Feb. 24.
His posting on social media came after Trump had a two-hour meeting with McDaniel at Mar-a-Lago, the Post reports.
McDaniel was elected to the position. So, Trump can't technically fire her, but could ask her to resign.
McDaniel served as chair of the Michigan Republican Party from 2015 to 2017. She was first elected to the RNC chair job in 2017 after helping Trump win Michigan in 2016. She won a a record fourth term as RNC chair in 2023 and has been expected to remain in the job until 2025, the Post reports.
She earned $122,582 that first year, but now makes $400,000 a year, according to HuffPost.
Her critics in the party are tiring of her reign and are mad about losing election after election.
Since taking the post, Republicans have not fared so well in elections in many states, particularly in Michigan, where McDaniel resides. Republicans in Michigan have lost every two-year election cycle since 2018. Some blame McDaniel. Others insist it's Trump's fault.
“If Trump wants to understand why we lost in 2018, 2020 and 2022, all he has to do is look in the mirror. Ronna isn’t a magician,” RNC member Henry Barbour, who has criticized Trump, is quoted in the Post.
