Ronna McDaniel to Step Down as RNC Chair After Super Tuesday

Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna McDaniel announced on Monday her intention to resign after Super Tuesday following former US President Donald Trump's endorsement of a new set of party leaders.

Her decision to step down - which would be effective on March 8, according to the New York Times - followed Saturday's South Carolina primary and came less than two weeks after Trump endorsed North Carolina GOP chairman Michael Whatley to become McDaniel's successor.

Trump's daughter-in-law Lara would become party co-chair, and top campaign aide Chris LaCivita would be the party's chief operating officer, NBC News reported.

In a statement, McDaniel said it had been an "honor and privilege" to serve as RNC chair for seven years. She also shared her "proudest accomplishments" during her tenure, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi losing her seat and possessing the Republican majority in 2022, among others.

"I have decided to step aside at our Spring Training on March 8 in Houston to allow our nominee to select a Chair of their choosing," she added. "The RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition."

(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

McDaniel's Legacy in the GOP

McDaniel, 50, was hand-picked by Trump after the 2016 election to serve as the second female RNC chair in the party's history, replacing Reince Priebus, who became Trump's first White House chief of staff. She was re-elected to a fourth term in January 2023 after winning against Harmeet Dhillon.

Before her post, she was previously the GOP chair in Michigan, overseeing Trump's successful 2016 effort in the state.

Trump told Fox News earlier this month that "some changes" were likely at the RNC when he was asked about McDaniel's performance.

"I think she did great when she ran Michigan for me. I think she did OK initially in the RNC," he said in the interview. "I would say right now there'll probably be some changes made."

McDaniel's leadership was scrutinized by party activists after the 2022 midterm elections when Republicans lost several critical Senate seats and governors' races.

Grassroots activists and conservative influencers who were upset with McDaniel's leadership coalesced around Dhillon's effort to unseat her. But McDaniel offered a show of force ahead of the party's winter meetings last year, unveiling a list of more than 100 RNC members who backed her for another term, and she easily defeated the challenge.

Criticism of McDaniel's leadership was focused on her handling of party finances and grassroots efforts. According to the party's latest disclosure with the Federal Election Commission, it showed that it was facing a cash crunch, with less than half as much money in the bank as the Democratic National Committee reported at the end of 2023.

Meanwhile, Lara Trump was asked by reporters in Beaufort, South Carolina, last week whether the RNC would help to pay Trump's legal bills as her father-in-law faces prosecution in four jurisdictions across the country.

"I said every penny will go to making sure Donald Trump will be the 47th president, to ensuring that we have great candidates to expand our lead in the House and to take back the Senate," she responded, adding about providing funding for his legal expenses. "I think that his legal bills have already been covered at this point."

LaCivita told reporters later in the week that the RNC will not use party funds to cover Trump-related legal expenses.