RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tells Trump she’s resigning after South Carolina primary: report

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has told former President Donald Trump that she will step down from her post later this month, soon after the South Carolina primary. 

Trump, 77, is expected to back North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley as McDaniel’s replacement after the Palmetto State’s Feb. 24 primary, sources told the Associated Press Tuesday.

The former president and GOP primary front-runner hinted on Monday that McDaniel, 50, should vacate her position after the RNC reported decade-low fundraising numbers entering the presidential election year.

“I think she knows that, I think she understands that,” Trump said during a Newsmax interview when asked whether McDaniel should resign after three consecutive election cycles of Republican underperformance.

Trump also teased in a Truth Social post that he’ll be “making a decision the day after the South Carolina Primary as to my recommendations for RNC Growth,” calling McDaniel a “friend” and praising her work in Michigan during his 2016 election victory over Hillary Clinton. 

Multiple outlets have reported that Trump met with McDaniel at his Mar-a-Lago estate on the day of the post. 

Trump’s preference for Whatley to take the helm of the national party stems from the North Carolina GOP chair’s belief that mass voting fraud was perpetrated during the 2020 election and the former president’s view that Whatley was instrumental in delivering North Carolina for him that same year, according to the New York Times.

Whatley also serves as general counsel at the RNC and has backed efforts to develop new voting laws over fraud concerns.

RNC rules require that an election for a new leader take place if McDaniel were to resign.

According to Federal Election Commission filings, the RNC had just $8 million in cash on hand as of Dec. 31 — the lowest since it had just over $5 million cash on hand at the end of 2014.

In contrast, the Trump campaign finished off 2023 with $42 million cash on hand.

“Nothing has changed. This will be decided after South Carolina,” RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper said about McDaniel’s status in a statement to The Post. 

The Trump campaign did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

With Post wires