Former US President Donald Trump continues to cement his influence in the Republican Party. On Friday his daughter-in-law took over Lara Trump and another confidant of the 77-year-old hold key positions in the party’s leadership committee.
Members of the Republican National Committee (RNC) voted at a meeting in Houston Michael Whatley as the new chairman and Lara Trump to co-chair.
Tailwind in the party
Whatley, Republican leader North Carolinasupports Trump’s claim that the Democrat Joe Biden only won the 2020 presidential election against the then incumbent through fraud. Lara Trump is the wife of Donald Trump’s son Eric.
Trump had recently increasingly pushed for a change at the top of the RNC and continued to gain momentum in the party thanks to his series of victories in the primaries. After weeks of public pressure from Trump, the previous RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel Resigned at the end of February.
This would allow the future Republican presidential candidate to decide who should move to the top of the party, she said, explaining her decision.
Financing the election campaign is likely to be the focus
The Republican National Organizing Committee is responsible, among other things, for coordinating campaign strategy, fundraising and hosting the nomination convention. The financing of the election campaign in particular is likely to be the focus of the work of the new NRC leadership.
After relatively ineffective fundraising, the Republicans had less than $9 million available at the end of January. For Biden’s Democrats it was $24 million, according to documents from both parties.