Donald Trump’s newly established leadership team at the Republican National Committee initiated a significant staff shake-up on Monday, as reported by sources closely associated with both the Trump campaign and the RNC.
It is anticipated that over 60 RNC personnel, spanning political, communications, and data sectors, will be relieved of their duties. Among them are five senior staff members, whose identities remain undisclosed. Additionally, several vendor contracts are slated for termination.
In a communication addressed to select political and data personnel, Sean Cairncross, the RNC’s newly appointed chief operating officer, articulated that the committee’s new leadership is actively assessing the organization and its personnel to ensure alignment with its vision. Cairncross noted that during this evaluation process, certain staff members are being requested to resign and reapply for positions within the team.
The restructuring aims primarily to streamline the RNC, described by one insider as burdened by bureaucracy. It also highlights the swift transition of Trump’s campaign to assert control over Republican Party operations, particularly following his near-certain nomination as the party’s presidential candidate.
Effective Monday, Trump’s campaign assumed operational control of the RNC. Michael Whatley, former chair of the North Carolina GOP, was elected as the new RNC chair on Friday, endorsed by Trump, alongside Lara Trump, Trump’s daughter-in-law, as co-chair. Furthermore, Chris LaCivita, a senior campaign adviser to Trump, was appointed as the RNC’s new chief of staff.
The departure of Ronna McDaniel, who served over seven years as chair, paved the way for Whatley’s appointment. Although Trump and McDaniel were longtime allies, recent friction arose due to Trump’s perception that she inadequately addressed issues related to voter integrity and her hosting of Republican primary debates from which Trump abstained.
Trump’s advisers have criticized the RNC’s organizational structure as excessively bloated and bureaucratic, attributing it to the party’s financial challenges. As of December, the RNC’s funds stood at approximately $8 million, considerably less than the Democratic National Committee.
