He did say there needed to be a change.
Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Ronna McDaniel should relinquish her position as the head of the Republican National Committee, marking a departure from his previous commendations of her leadership.
In an interview with Newsmax conducted at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump responded affirmatively when asked if he believed McDaniel should step down, stating, “Well, I think she knows that. I think she understands that.”
McDaniel was reportedly present at Mar-a-Lago on Monday evening, as observed by a source.
Trump, who is vying for a return to the presidency, hinted at potential changes within the RNC during a Sunday appearance on Fox News, remarking that “there’ll probably be some changes” without further elaboration regarding McDaniel’s performance.
Neither the RNC nor McDaniel commented immediately in response to Trump’s statements on Monday night, nor did they respond following his remarks on Fox News.
In a post on Truth Social later that evening, Trump referred to McDaniel as his “friend” and highlighted her previous role as the Michigan GOP chairwoman during his narrow victory in the state during the 2016 general election, where he became the first Republican presidential candidate to achieve such a feat since 1988.
“Ronna is now Head of the RNC, and I’ll be making a decision the day after the South Carolina Primary as to my recommendations for RNC Growth,” Trump wrote.
The South Carolina Republican primary is scheduled for February 24.
Despite Trump’s indications, McDaniel has consistently voiced support for him, including after his decisive win in the New Hampshire Republican primary last month. She expressed confidence in Trump’s candidacy, asserting that “it’s time to move forward, and I think Donald Trump is going to be the nominee,” even as former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has stated her intention to continue her campaign through Super Tuesday in early March.
Trump appointed McDaniel to lead the RNC in 2017, and she secured re-election for a fourth term last year, despite the party’s lackluster performance in the midterm elections.
