Commentary: With RNC Shakeup, MAGA Brings Accountability to the Republican Party

Michael Whatley and Lara Trump (composite image)

An insidious institutional rot has long afflicted the Republican Party and the broader conservative movement. Historically, this has presented a vexing problem for grassroots activists desperate to change the status quo. Now, after Herculean efforts by players big and small, it appears that the rabble-rousing of the MAGA faithful is finally paying off.

New Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley and Vice Chairwoman Lara Trump have brought immediate change to the institution, working with senior Trump campaign advisor Chris LaCivita to streamline this leviathan. Whereas former RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney-McDaniel did not make the systemic changes needed to support a modern campaign infrastructure, the new team has wasted no time taking a hatchet to overpriced, underworked, and misaligned elements of the organization.

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RNC Sues Michigan Secretary of State Benson over Voter Roll Maintenance

Jocelyn Benson

The Republican National Committee on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for allegedly not maintaining the state’s voter rolls as required by federal law. 

“Election integrity starts with clean voter rolls, and that’s why the National Voter Registration Act requires state officials to keep their rolls accurate and up-to-date,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said “Jocelyn Benson has failed to follow the NVRA, leaving Michigan with inflated and inaccurate voter rolls ahead of the 2024 election.”

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Lara Trump Officially Launches Bid for RNC Co-Chair

Lara Trump

Lara Trump, former President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, launched her bid for co-chair of the Republican National Committee one day after current RNC chair Ronna McDaniel said she would resign from her position after Super Tuesday.

“I promise you that I will be laser-focused on election integrity, voter turn out, and ensuring every dollar spent goes towards winning!” Lara Trump said Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter, in an announcement about her candidacy. 

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GOP Members Criticize RNC’s Ronna McDaniel for Spending, Weak Grassroots Work for 2024

As the Republican National Committee had its annual meeting this past week in Las Vegas, several GOP members expressed concerns about the party’s leadership going into the 2024 election cycle, with its “worst-ever financial situation” and limited focus on both grassroots efforts and supporting the 2020 alternate electors.

After the failure of a “red wave” to materialize in the 2022 midterm elections and as the GOP looks to take back the White House, Republican Party members have criticized the lack of aid that both the 2020 alternate electors and grassroots have received as the RNC is experiencing financial trouble. Some are pointing to a lack of leadership from RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.

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Gina Swoboda Explains Why She Was Reluctant at First to Run for AZGOP Chair

Newly-elected chair of the Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) Gina Swoboda joined Thursday’s edition of The Afternoon Addiction with Garret Lewis on KFYI to discuss why she was reluctant at first to run as the AZGOP chair, explaining how a call from former President Donald Trump ultimately changed her mind.

“It was impossible to say no,” Swoboda said. “It was surreal. I think any one of us when called upon to serve is going to serve.”

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Draft Resolution to Declare Trump the Presumptive Nominee Withdrawn

A draft resolution to declare former President Donald Trump the presumptive GOP nominee was withdrawn just hours after it was proposed on Thursday evening, the Daily Caller News Foundation confirmed.

David Bossie, a committeeman for the Republican National Committee (RNC), proposed that Trump be declared the nominee ahead of the party’s convention in July after his significant wins in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, according to the draft resolution obtained by The Dispatch. Trump turned down the proposal in a Truth Social post, and the draft resolution was later withdrawn, according to a person familiar.

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Ohio Republican Party Urges Voters to Bank Their Vote Ahead of Primary Election

People Voting

The Ohio Republican Party is urging GOP voters in the Buckeye State to participate in the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) new nationwide campaign focused on maximizing pre-Election Day voting.

The RNC’s Bank Your Vote campaign was created last year to “encourage, educate, and activate Republican voters on when, where, and how to lock in their votes as early as possible, through in-person early voting, absentee voting, and ballot harvesting where legal.”

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Stephen K. Bannon and John Fredericks Call for Ronna Romney McDaniel to Resign as RNC Chair

Ronna McDaniel

WarRoom host Stephen K. Bannon made an appearance on The John Fredericks Show Tuesday morning, where he joined Fredericks in calling on former President Donald Trump to demand the immediate resignation of Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel.

Bannon criticized the current state of the RNC, citing a substantial list of failures, including financial issues, lack of focus, and questionable priorities such as organizing debates that foment anti-Trump sentiment.

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Longshot GOP Candidate Doug Burgum Suspends Presidential Campaign

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced Monday that he is suspending his 2024 presidential campaign.

Burgum jumped in the growing GOP primary field in early June and has spent his campaign largely focused on the economy, energy and national security. The governor criticized the Republican National Committee’s (RNC’s) upped debate requirements, which left Burgum off the last debate stage, during his announcement, accusing them of “nationalizing the primary system,” according to a press release.

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Newly Released January 6 Video Recordings Raise Questions as Supreme Court Prepares to Hear Riot Cases

Capitol Police converse w citizens in the capitol on Jan 6

Newly released footage from the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot is raising new questions about the events that transpired and the subsequent criminal charges as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide whether to hear the first two January 6 appeals. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday that he plans to release 44,000 hours of January 6 footage to the general public. The first batch containing about 90 hours of footage was released that day, and the remaining 44,000 hours are expected to be released over the next several months. Additionally, starting Monday, the House Administration Oversight Subcommittee will allow any U.S. citizen to review U.S. Capitol Police video footage from January 6 by scheduling an appointment to view the videos in person. 

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In Battle for Control of Virginia Legislature, Republicans Test New Commitment to Early Voting

Early voting has become a central issue in the Virginia legislature election, which is set to conclude on Tuesday and determine whether Gov. Glenn Youngkin will have a Republican majority to pass legislation.

The state Senate is currently controlled by Democrats, 22-18, with the state House controlled by Republicans, after winning 52 seats in 2021 to Democrats’ 48, according to Ballotpedia. Republicans gained control of the state House in 2021, when Youngkin won the governorship, Winsome Earle-Sears won the election for lieutenant governor, and Jason Miyares won the attorney general race.

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Burgum Campaign Announces ‘Cutting-Edge’ Voter Contact Effort as the GOP Presidential Long-Shot Looks to Miss Second Debate

The campaign for North Dakota Governor and Republican presidential candidate Doug Burgum said it’s rolling out a “cutting-edge voter contact surge” that will target more “persuadable” voters.

Will it be enough to move the needle for a long-shot candidate on the outside looking in to next week’s second GOP presidential debate?

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Sources: Tennessee Republican National Committeeman Oscar Brock Working with Challenger to Congressman Andy Ogles

Sources told The Tennessee Star that Tennessee Republican National Committeeman Oscar Brock is helping Geoffrey Stokes Nielson in his campaign to challenge incumbent Republican Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the 2024 GOP primary election.

Ogles has served as the U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District since 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party. Before his election to Congress, he served as the mayor of Maury County, Tennessee, from 2018 until 2022.

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GOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Rallies in Milwaukee Night Before First Republican Primary Debate

With just 24 hours to go before the first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 campaign, Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy spent Tuesday evening as he has spent almost every waking hour since launching his bid for the White House in February: Campaigning.

Ramaswamy held a high-energy rally at downtown Milwaukee’s beer garden, just feet away from the Fiserv Forum, home of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and site of Wednesday evening’s debate.

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Conservative Firebrand Kari Lake Plans to Serve as a Surrogate for Trump at Wednesday’s GOP Presidential Candidates’ Debate

Arizona Republican Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake will be in attendance at Wednesday’s first Republican presidential candidates’ debate in Milwaukee, and she plans to speak up for an absent former President Donald Trump.

Lake, a close Trump ally, tells The Star News Network that she will do everything in her power to return the former president to the White House.

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Arizona Secretary of State Fontes Will Publish Public Comments on 2023 Elections Procedures Manual

A spokesperson for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told The Arizona Sun Times that the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office will publish all public comments on the 2023 Election Procedure Manual on the website after a review of comments has been completed.

“The comments will be made public after staff has a chance to review. Once that review is complete, it will be posted on the Secretary of State’s website,” the spokesperson told The Sun Times.

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Sens. Grassley and Johnson Say Defense Agency and Georgia Tech May have Targeted RNC, DNC Networks

U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) said an email was uncovered recently that exposed a U.S. Defense agency project aimed at targeting Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee networks.

At the core of the concerning discovery are some serious questions, including whether the Pentagon’s research arm was involved in driving false claims that Russians working for then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump hacked into the DNC email server in 2016.

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RNC, Republican Party of Wisconsin Seek to Intervene in Leftist-Led Lawsuit on Illegal Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes

The Republican National Committee and Republican Party of Wisconsin have filed a motion to intervene in Priorities USA v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, an election lawsuit filed in the Badger State by attorney Marc Elias, known as the fixer for the Democratic Party and its politicians.

The original suit, filed in Dane County Circuit Court by the Elias Law Group in July, demands Wisconsin voters be once again allowed to return absentee ballots in drop boxes.

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New GOP Requirements for Second Debate Spells Bad News for 2024 Republican Longshots

The Republican National Committee’s (RNC) new criteria for the second presidential primary debate in September will likely decrease the 2024 longshot candidates’ chances at making the stage.

For the first GOP presidential debate on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the RNC is requiring that contenders surpass a 40,000 unique donor threshold, meet polling criteria and sign a loyalty pledge to support the eventual nominee. The RNC is increasing the donor and polling criteria for the Sept. 27 debate in Simi Valley, California, which could significantly narrow the field as many have already struggled to meet the first debate requirements, the Daily Caller News Foundation confirmed with a person familiar with the plans.

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GOP Presidential Hopeful Doug Burgum Rises in New Granite State Poll, Celebrates Donation Count

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum sees his presidential prospects rising following the release of a new Granite State poll.

The GOP presidential hopeful, who is barely showing up in national polls, garnered 6 percent support in the University of New Hampshire’s latest poll of likely Granite State primary voters. That’s good for a fourth-place showing.

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Trump Leans Toward Skipping First GOP Primary Debate, Weighs Holding Counter Event: Report

Former President Donald Trump is leaning toward skipping the first presidential debate in August and holding a countering event instead, NBC News reported Wednesday.

Trump has reportedly been toying with not participating in the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) first two GOP primary debates due to his massive lead in the polls and recent spats with Fox News, the outlet broadcasting the August debate, according to NBC News. Several Trump advisers told NBC News that while the former president is leaning toward skipping the first debate, he hasn’t made a final decision but is exploring options for a competing event.

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Presidential Campaigns Push Fundraising Appeals Ahead of Critical Filing Deadline

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign reminded supporters on Wednesday that the Democrat challenger to President Joe Biden is facing a “crucial deadline” on Friday. It will be the first time the presidential hopeful’s campaign donations will be made public.

In an urgent appeal for contributions, the Kennedy campaign disabused the notion that the Kennedy Family scion is running a “$100 million campaign.”

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Commentary: January 6 Pipe Bomber Story Goes Boom

It remains the greatest unsolved mystery related to the events of January 6: Who placed pipe bombs near the headquarters of both the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee the night before?

Shortly before the joint session of Congress convened at 1 p.m. to debate the results of the 2020 Electoral College vote, a woman on her way to do some laundry looked down and spotted a device in an alley adjacent to the RNC building. Karlin Younger ran to notify security guards, who then called police. Law enforcement conducted a search of the area and located another device outside the DNC building.

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Republicans See Ballot Harvesting as a Necessary Evil in Some States Ahead of 2024

The Republican National Committee (RNC) unveiled a new election strategy on Wednesday that includes ballot harvesting in states where it’s legal, which conservative activists say is necessary to win elections in 2024.

The RNC’s new strategy, named “Bank Your Vote,” involves helping Republican voters cast their votes “as early as possible, through in-person early voting, absentee voting, and ballot harvesting where legal,” according to an email the RNC sent the DCNF. “Ballot harvesting,” a practice where absentee ballots are collected from voters by political employees and deposited at an election office or ballot drop box, has been strongly criticized by some Republicans in the past, though GOP candidates and activists now say it will be important to winning in 2024.

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GOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Makes the Cut for the GOP Debates

Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy has risen in the polls to a top 5 candidate. Now the Ohio businessman and political outsider has secured a spot on the Republican National Committee debate stage. 

In fact, Ramaswamy’s campaign crossed the RNC debate stage criteria threshold in May, several months before the debates are set to take place, according to the candidate’s camp.  

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Possible Mastriano Senate Run Elicits Mixed Reactions Among Pennsylvania Conservatives

Pennsylvania state Senator Doug Mastriano’s plans to soon announce whether he’ll run for U.S. Senate next year have Pennsylvania’s movement conservatives brimming with feelings — not all of them positive. 

The Republican who represents Gettysburg, Chambersburg and surrounding communities suffered an overwhelming defeat last year when he ran for governor against Democrat Josh Shapiro. After Mastriano indicated he would publicly decide on a bid against Democratic Senator Bob Casey in just days, state Representative Russ Diamond (R-Jonestown) wrote a tweetstorm Monday urging fellow Republicans to entreat Mastriano not to run.

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Commentary: Take GOP Debates Away from the Mainstream Media

Tucker Carlson reportedly wants to host his own GOP presidential debate. The idea struck a chord with many people. It would be must-see TV for the most popular commentator on the Right to grill presidential hopefuls before a national audience. Republican voters would also prefer if those asking the candidates questions were not liberal reporters.

With Carlson now visible primarily on Twitter, it looks like he will have the opportunity to host the debate on the social media giant. According to the Washington Post, “Carlson wants to moderate his own GOP candidate forum, outside of the usual strictures of the Republican National Committee debate system.”

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Pennsylvania Court Dismisses GOP Lawsuit Against Ballot ‘Curing’ Policies

Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court on Thursday dismissed a Republican Party lawsuit seeking to prevent counties from “curing” mail-in ballots that contain mistakes. 

The GOP national and state committees who sued insisted state law does not outline procedures for local election boards to inform absentee voters they made mistakes filling out their vote envelopes or to let those voters fix their errors. In recent elections, various counties did so anyway, prompting Republicans to object that the rules aren’t being followed in certain jurisdictions across the commonwealth.

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Commentary: Anonymous ‘Dark’ Money Plus Unions Generally Equals Corrupt Politics

It is critical that Tennesseans and Americans trust their election process. Almost certainly, cash is being funneled into obscure organizations in our state to attempt to influence and win elections – and shape future policies. Our state has been rocked by political scandals throughout our history. One incident – “The Battle of Athens” has been immortalized for standing up to corruption. A recent Tennessee Speaker of the House, Glen Casada, awaits trial on bribery and kickback charges later this year.

It is easy to observe that teacher unions have donated millions to political campaigns, mostly going to Democratic candidates and committees. Since 2010, Democrats replaced Republicans in dark money spending. Nobody likes to talk about the millions spent on private jets, Broadway shows, or luxury retreats by the Republican National Committee. Where did that money come from?

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Commentary: Voters Can No Longer Tolerate Business as Usual, So It’s Time for Ronna McDaniel to Go

Kevin McCarthy’s speakership vote should have sent a clear message to GOP establishmentarians everywhere: conservatives have real power to leverage against Establishment-era Republicans, and they aren’t afraid to use it.

Even before the battle began on the floor of Congress, polling from Trafalgar Group and Convention of States revealed that Republican voters were dissatisfied with Republican Party congressional leadership. Capitalizing on the frustration of their constituents, a small band of Congressmen rebelled against the status quo and successfully managed to break up business as usual in our broken federal government.

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RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel Will Not Participate in Public Debate with Challengers Harmeet Dhillon and Mike Lindell

Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel reportedly declined to participate in a live, public debate with her opponents, according to POLITICO.

McDaniel, seeking a fourth term as chair, cited her “existing commitment to a forum” that the RNC will hold regarding being absent from the live debate, the outlet reported Friday.

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RNC Announces 2024 Convention Dates

The Republican National Committee on Wednesday announced plans to hold its 2024 convention from July 15-18, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the GOP will select its 2024 presidential nominee.

“We look forward to our continued work with the beautiful city of Milwaukee to make this convention week a success. Republicans will stand united in Milwaukee in 2024 to share our message of freedom and opportunity with the world,” RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said. 

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Commentary: All State GOPs Should Call for Ronna McDaniel to Withdraw

The accounts I have read about the race for Republican National Committee chair make it sound as if Ronna McDaniel is sure to win another term as leader of the GOP. These articles imply that her flunkies at the RNC will round up the votes necessary to guarantee her victory. I have no reason to question that assumption. But I wonder if state GOPs across the country, following the lead of their brethren in Arizona and Texas, could force McDaniel out of the race before that vote. After all, can she really lead the party if Republicans across the country have repudiated her leadership?

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Georgia GOP Chair David Shafer Criticizes McConnell, NRSC After Walker Loss

Georgia Republican Party Chair David Shafer criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) after Herschel Walker lost the Georgia Senate runoff. Shafer said the NRSC didn’t provide enough support, according to an internal Republican National Committee (RNC) email chain obtained by Politico.

“Tuesday was a tough day in Georgia. Herschel was massively outspent, maybe 3 to 1 in a four week period of time and still held his own,” Shafer said in an email sent the day after the election.

“We used our RNC transfer dollars for the ground game and were forced to raise money from entirely within the state for our critically important mail program. Two weeks out, we were $2.5 million short when I sent what was for me an embarrassing email begging the other state parties for help,” he said.

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