Ronna McDaniel, who is 50 years old, has announced that she will officially step down as the head of the Republican National Committee on March 8, as reported by the New York Post. This decision comes after former President Donald Trump urged her to resign last week. McDaniel’s resignation follows a period of speculation regarding her potential removal and increasing criticism from Republican candidates and party members due to the GOP’s lackluster performance in elections since 2018.
In a statement, McDaniel expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve as chairwoman for seven years, highlighting her efforts to elect Republicans and expand the party. She also mentioned that her proudest achievement was removing Nancy Pelosi from her position as House speaker.
“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 said. “The RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition,” she added.
The Post noted further:
“But criticism ramped up over the past few years over her handling of the party’s finances and failed grassroots efforts to attract voters after Republicans lost Senate seats and governorships in 2022.
“At the same time, 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, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
“In contrast, the Trump campaign finished off 2023 with $42 million cash on hand.”
A week ago, Trump suggested that McDaniel should consider stepping down following the party’s record-low fundraising figure during a presidential election year.
Trump also suggested 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 lauding her for her work in Michigan in 2016, where he defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
He added that he believes “she did great when she ran Michigan for me” and “she did OK initially in the RNC.”
But, “I would say right now there’ll probably be some changes made,” he told Fox News earlier this month.
