In the wake of Former President Donald Trump’s announcement of his choices to lead the Republican National Committee (RNC), concerns have been raised within the party regarding potential interference in the ongoing GOP primary season. In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Henry Barbour, a committee member, expressed reservations about Trump’s actions, stating that the former president seems to be attempting to alter the established rules prematurely.
The discussion centered around the impending departure of current RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, set to step down in the coming month. Trump’s nominations for her replacement include Michael Whatley, the chair of North Carolina’s Republican Party, and Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law. Barbour, however, appeared less than enthusiastic about these choices.
Barbour highlighted his concerns, stating, “Well, it’s a bad precedent. And I say that because I think Donald Trump is jumping the gun before the primary is over to begin to influence things at the RNC. He’s supposed to get a majority of the delegates wrapped up, and we’ve only voted in four states. And voters deserve to be able to have a vote and a say, that’s the process that we have in place and that we’ve had in place for decades. And in effect, Donald Trump is trying to change the rules in the middle of the game.”
Expressing disappointment over McDaniel’s departure, Barbour conveyed his belief that both Michael Whatley and Lara Trump would likely be elected at the upcoming meeting. However, his discontent stemmed from what he sees as an infringement on the neutrality that the RNC should maintain during the primary season.
In response to Bash’s inquiry about his satisfaction with the potential election of Whatley and Lara Trump, Barbour stated, “Well, I’m not happy that — and this is the reason I offered this resolution dealing with neutrality — it says the RNC should stay neutral through the primary. And it should, and we shouldn’t have a campaign dictating to us while the primary is still going on. There’s another candidate running, and Donald Trump, while he has a significant lead and which I’m not blind to, the RNC has a job to be neutral, and at least until we have a presumptive nominee.”
Barbour referred to a resolution he proposed, emphasizing that the RNC should maintain neutrality throughout the presidential primary. Additionally, he pointed out that the resolution explicitly stated that the RNC would not cover Trump’s legal bills. This became a contentious point as Lara Trump indicated her belief that voters would support the RNC paying for her father-in-law’s legal expenses, funds that technically come from the voters, with an assurance that every contribution to the RNC would be directed towards Trump’s campaign.
As the RNC navigates these internal dynamics and potential rule changes, the broader Republican party watches closely, with a keen interest in how these developments might shape the trajectory of the GOP primary season and the party’s overall direction.
