Lara Trump on How the RNC Is ‘Attacking the Game Differently’

 

Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump, confirmed that she and other new leaders started their first day on the job with “a lot of restructuring of people at the RNC.”

In an exclusive interview with The Epoch Times on March 12, Ms. Trump didn’t divulge the number of RNC employees who were laid off March 11 when she and other leaders took the helm. She said the final number isn’t settled because “there are some people who will come back, and there are some who will not.”

But, she said, the new leaders’ immediate actions demonstrate “we really are very serious” about the party’s paramount goal: helping President Trump and other Republicans win elections.

That means raising money, spending it wisely, engaging voters, and making sure their votes count.

“It’s the dawn of a new day at the RNC,” Ms. Trump, wife of President Trump’s son, Eric, said. “I think it'll be a breath of fresh air for people to see a lot of the things we do.”

She and other top leaders—including the new chairman Michael Whatley, who has headed North Carolina’s GOP—are playing hardball.

“We are not there to make friends; we are there to win,” Ms. Trump said. “If you are really focused on that goal, you do have to say ‘no’ to people; you do have to have those hard conversations.”

That attitude represents a major shift. For years, the RNC operated like a “good ol' boys’ club” full of glad-handers, politicos have told The Epoch Times.

In response to that characterization, Ms. Trump said: “I think that is the sentiment that far too many people had about the RNC. And that’s why you saw my father-in-law call for a change in leadership there.”

The ascension of Ms. Trump and Mr. Whatley—along with longtime co-manager of the Trump campaign Chris LaCivita as RNC chief operations officer—cements President Trump’s position as the de facto leader of the GOP.

“This change in leadership signals a complete integration between the RNC and the Trump campaign,” said J. Matthew Wilson, political science professor at Southern Methodist University.

“Clearly, the MAGA faction is now firmly in control of the Republican Party,” he said, referring to President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

Whether these changes benefit the party as a whole remains to be seen, but Ms. Trump expressed determination to work for the good of the entire Republican Party, not just her father-in-law.

In a social media post on March 13, Ms. Trump said that the weekend after she and Mr. Whatley were elected, the GOP “had the largest digital fundraising weekend since 2020 ... we are just getting started!” She did not disclose the total contributions.

Past Versus Present

Ronna McDaniel, who had served as the RNC chairwoman since 2017 with the backing of President Trump, stepped down March 8 amid long-simmering accusations of poor leadership, anemic fundraising, and a string of losses and missed opportunities. High on the list: Republicans’ failure to capture the Senate majority in November 2022.

Based on the recommendations of President Trump, the RNC voted for Mr. Whatley and Ms. Trump at its spring meeting in Houston on March 8. The candidates were unopposed and elected by unanimous voice vote.

At the meeting, RNC member Cynthia Henry of Alaska told The Epoch Times she believed people were feeling “real good about the change in leadership.” She thinks they are “grateful for the past leadership and inspired by the new leadership style.”