Tearful Ronna McDaniel hands RNC reins over to Lara Trump, Michael Whatley at Houston ‘coronation’
HOUSTON — Michael Whatley, the head of the North Carolina Republican Party, was elected unanimously as the new chairman of the Republican National Committee on Friday morning, a largely pre-determined outcome after outgoing chairwoman Ronna McDaniel formally resigned her post.
Whatley — who was backed by presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump and was the only candidate running for chair — will replace McDaniel, who announced last month she would step down, at the suggestion of the 45th president, after seven years.
Former first daughter-in-law Lara Trump, the only candidate up for RNC co-chair, was also unanimously voted into that position.
In her goodbye remarks, McDaniel’s voice broke as she recounted the support her husband, Patrick, has given her throughout her long reign before endorsing Whatley and Trump as chair and co-chair.
“President Trump deserves to have the change in place he wants in place at the RNC,” McDaniel said, after announcing the 77-year-old as the presumptive Republican nominee and asking for those in agreement for “yeas” — and refusing to ask for “nays.”
“I will do everything possible to re-elect President Trump in November,” she said. “And I ask all of you out there who worked so hard during this primary season or supported another candidate, that you come in and join me in supporting our president as well.”
The RNC typically holds multi-day meetings, but the election to replace McDaniel was held in the space of one morning.
There were just 38 proxies present at the meeting, coming in as substitutes for RNC members who couldn’t make the event that was announced just over a week before.
The accelerated nature of the meeting was noticed by one member who attempted to add “new business to the agenda.” The suggestion was met with some “yeas,” but was ultimately shot down with overwhelming “nays.”
One proxy in attendance told The Post that the voting session was a “coronation” at which “serfs” showed up to pledge their allegiance to the new regime before departing Houston on the first available flight.
Other members in attendance said Whatley being chair was “pre-determined” before Friday and everyone knew the outcome before the election was held.
California RNC member Harmeet Dhillon said Whatley’s chairmanship was a “foregone conclusion” and that he had whipped up the votes beforehand and had done his “homework” to get members to support his cause.
Whatley being the next chair was acknowledged at the beginning of the election meeting, with a prayer being offered both for McDaniel and for Whatley “as he steps into his new role.”
Top Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita was among those in attendance, confirming the growing symbiosis between the RNC and the former president’s campaign.
Lara Trump has publicly said she may use RNC funds to defray her father-in-law’s mounting legal bills.
Before officially departing, McDaniel set out a vision for what Republicans will have to do to win in November, including convincing voters to vote early and ballot harvest, as well as having a message on abortion that is not just delivered to “an echo chamber of Republicans.”
“The thing I worry about the most is something that we can control,” McDaniel said.
Lara Trump vowed the RNC would “work our hardest over the next eight months” and that Trump being up for re-election is about “the family” and “our country.”
“We are going to make sure that every single penny of every dollar goes towards one goal,” she added, “which is winning.”
