Resolutions Proposed to Delay Trump’s Influence on RNC

A draft resolution put forward by a senior member of the Republican National Committee is looking to delay the party’s official endorsement of former President Donald Trump as its nominee for the upcoming presidential election.

Another resolution aims to prevent the RNC from covering Trump’s legal expenses, indicating a potential divide within the party on its stance towards Trump and the allocation of resources, as reported by NBC News.

These resolutions were introduced by Henry Barbour, the national committeeman for Mississippi.

CNN reported that the resolution on endorsements states: “The Republican National Committee and its leadership will remain neutral during the Presidential primary and will not hire additional staff from any of the active Presidential campaigns until a nominee is clearly decided by reaching 1,215 delegates.”

Despite Trump’s strong performance in Republican primaries and caucuses so far, Barbour’s neutrality resolution seeks to slow down any premature alignment with Trump’s candidacy, potentially impeding his team’s ability to take control of the RNC.

Unlike the Democratic National Committee and Joe Biden’s campaign, the Trump campaign and the RNC have not established a joint fundraising committee, hindering coordinated financial efforts, according to NBC News.

Trump’s campaign has criticized Barbour’s neutrality resolution, stressing the importance of defeating Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and reclaiming the presidency.

Chris LaCivita, Trump’s campaign co-manager and future chief operating officer of the RNC, stated, “The primary is over, and it is the RNC’s sole responsibility to defeat Joe Biden and win back the White House. Efforts to delay that assist Joe Biden in the destruction of our nation. Republicans cannot stand on the sidelines and allow this to happen.”

Barbour’s resolution regarding legal fees states, “The Republican National Committee will not cover the legal expenses of any of our candidates for federal or state offices, but will focus our spending on activities directly related to the 2024 election cycle.”

In a statement to NBC News on Saturday, Barbour mentioned, “We presented these two resolutions to ensure a serious conversation about safeguarding the primary process while there are still two competing candidates, and to prevent the RNC from paying the legal bills of any political candidate unrelated to the election cycle.”

These resolutions will be discussed during the RNC’s meeting in Houston on March 7 and 8.

Meanwhile, there is uncertainty surrounding the tenure of RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, with ongoing calls for her replacement by Michael Whatley.

Trump has endorsed Michael Whatley, the chairman of North Carolina’s Republican Party, as McDaniel’s successor, as reported.