Donald Trump, who boasted that he “was instrumental in getting Ronna McDaniel to be the RNC’s chairwoman,” praised Ronna McDaniel Friday.
That came during an interview on Newsmax in which the host suggested that the RNC was trying to sabotage the former president by allowing Fox News to host two primary debates. Trump responded by making a distinction between the two entities, saying that McDaniel “is very good” while claiming his role in her rise.
Trump: “I think the RNC has been good to me.” pic.twitter.com/jq0yB6GeQ3
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) August 25, 2023
HOST: It seems like the RNC is out to get you. Listen, Fox. Fox has turned against you. Not all of them, but the majority of them. And the RNC organized two debates on Fox News. They did it because they knew you wouldn’t be treated fairly on Fox News. What do you make of this?
TRUMP: I don’t think so. I believe that the RNC was good to me. You know, you can go along with the fact that I think Ronna is a good person. We’ve been friends for a very long time. She ran the entire Michigan area for me when I won Michigan 2016. In 2020, I performed much better than in 2016, but this is another story. She ran Michigan and won. I played a major role in her getting to the top of the RNC. She is very good. She is a good person.
It’s unclear why the Newsmax host thinks that the RNC wants to take down Trump, given the RNC’s long-standing support for the former President. But to his credit, the former President corrected the record and provided an honest response.
Trump points out that he elevated Ronna McDaniel as chairwoman of the RNC in 2017 after Reince Priebus had resigned from his position as chief of staff to the then-president. Even though he did not explicitly endorse McDaniel’s latest campaign (the RNC votes took place in January 2023), Susie Wiles was his top advisor and whipped up votes to ensure McDaniel’s reelection. For a long time, it has been clear that Trump and the RNC have a close relationship.
McDaniel was the one who invited Trump’s surrogates to the spin room at the first GOP debate, despite the fact that the former president did not attend. Some got in, such as Rep. Byron Donalds, while others did not have the right credentials.
Trump’s praise for McDaniel is unlikely to be well received by many Republicans, who have developed an intense dislike of the chairwoman. Since McDaniel assumed leadership, the GOP has suffered three consecutive major election losses. The RNC is more known for sending emails that look like scams, than for actually winning for conservatives.
No matter how one feels about McDaniel or Trump’s continued support for her, it is clear that they will be responsible for what happens in 2024, assuming Trump’s huge lead in the primaries holds. The “establishment”, when people are in control at the highest levels within a political party, is no longer an acceptable excuse. They are the establishment now, by definition, and should deliver, or suffer the consequences.
