Former President Donald Trump was urged to call for a replacement for Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Monday by Patti Lyman, a Republican National Committeewoman representing Virginia. Lyman’s remarks follow claims from McDaniel that Governor Glenn Youngkin, or his representatives, told her that Virginia did not need additional funding prior to the Republicans’ electoral losses in November.
During an appearance on “The John Fredericks Show,” Lyman suggested Trump could be a deciding factor to determine new leadership at the RNC. Lyman told host John Fredericks, who is publisher of The Virginia Star, Trump is the “one man” who could take “necessary” actions to “get new leadership at the RNC.”
“I don’t know how President Trump, or any nominee, wins with this RNC leadership in place,” Lyman told Fredericks. She added that Trump would have the support of a significant number of “voting RNC members” if he moved against McDaniel. She added, “we are ready to back him up on what he wants to do with our party, because he’s going to be our candidate.”
The RNC has struggled to raise funds, and currently has just over $9 million as the year draws to a close. Lyman said the sudden departure of McDaniel would send a “signal” to conservative activists and donors.
“I’m telling you right now, the signal that would be sent to grassroots all over this nation, if President Trump, backed up by the RNC members, took action to get effective leadership there?” She emphasized, “That would be such a shot in the arm, it could really revolutionize things.”
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In a statement to The Virginia Star, Lyman said she is calling for Trump to “state – either privately or preferably publicly – that we need a new RNC chair,” and to ask for McDaniel to resign.
Lyman’s call for Trump to enter the public campaign against McDaniel comes after she was blamed, in part, for Virginia Republicans’ losses last month. After she reportedly refused to provide additional funding to the state, Trump reportedly grew “increasingly sour” with her performance.
Scott Presler, the founder of Early Vote Action who has sought a response from McDaniel about the RNC’s plans for 2024 for more than 230 days, praised Lyman in a phone call with The Star. Presler commended her for her January vote against McDaniel, adding that Lyman “listened to the grassroots” before making her vote, but told The Star he expects McDaniel will hold her position.
Presler pointed to confusion prior to the election about whether the RNC would spend money in Virginia, noting that the Democratic National Committee devoted $1 million to the state.
Republican Party of Virginia chairman Rich Anderson clarified that he asked McDaniel for additional funding in a radio interview with Larry O’Connor on November 10, and said he was refused additional funding. Anderson explained that McDaniel claimed to have learned the state needed no additional resources from Youngkin. Appearing to speculate, Anderson suggested McDaniel could have received her information from Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia political action committee.
The Star contacted a Spirit of Virginia spokesman to ask whether the PAC indicated to McDaniel that Virginia did not need additional RNC money, and but did not receive a response prior to press time.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Ronna McDaniel” by Ronna McDaniel.
