The Republican National Committee has undergone a change in its leadership, courtesy of former President Donald Trump.
Michael Whatley, who supported Trump in his allegations of voter fraud, and Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, have been personally selected by Trump to assume the roles of chairman and co-chairwoman of the committee, as reported by the Associated Press.
In a recent vote, Whatley and Lara Trump were officially appointed as the new leaders of the committee.
“The RNC is going to be the vanguard of a movement that will work tirelessly every single day to elect our nominee, Donald J. Trump, as the 47th President of the United States,” Whatley told RNC members.
Ronna McDaniel, the longtime chairwoman, has been replaced by Whatley. Lara Trump, the wife of Eric Trump, is anticipated to concentrate on fundraising and making appearances in the media, as stated by the AP.
According to the AP, Chris LaCivita will take on the position of the RNC’s functional head and will also continue his role as one of the top two advisers for the Trump campaign. McDaniel addressed the issue of infighting within the Republican Party.
“We have to stop the attacking other Republicans,” she said. “If we spend our time attacking each other, we guarantee the Democrats are going to win. We don’t win if we only talk to each other.”
Lara Trump was reportedly “greeted like a celebrity, with members lining up to take photos with her.”
There has been significant apprehension surrounding the speculation that the RNC will cover the expenses of Trump’s increasing legal fees. Trump is currently confronted with four criminal indictments and a cumulative of 91 charges, alongside a civil fraud judgment of $355 million, which he is currently appealing. The AP has reported that Trump’s associated Save America political action committee has disbursed $76 million over the past two years on legal representation.
“LaCivita said, do so ‘purely on the basis of trying to hurt donors.’ Trump’s legal bills are instead being covered largely by Save America, a separate political entity,” per the AP.
“The fact of the matter is not a penny of the RNC’s money or, for that matter, the campaign’s money has gone or will go to pay legal fees,” he said.