Trump’s legal bills render state GOP orgs 'broke or perilously close to it': Dem strategist

16 May 2024

The Republican National Committee's (RNC) new leadership, including Chairman Michael Whatley and Co-Chair Lara Trump, have made it clear that their top priority is Donald Trump's 2024 campaign. And Lara Trump, the former president's daughter-in-law, has no problem with GOP funds being used to pay his legal bills.

Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele, a Never Trump conservative and MSNBC host, is supporting President Joe Biden. He has been highly critical of their approach — which, according to Steele, neglects Republicans badly at the same level.

Democratic strategist Max Burns expresses similar views in an op-ed published by MSNBC on May 16. The "national party's Trump-centric fundraising plan," Burns argues, is depriving state GOPs of badly needed funds — from Colorado to Minnesota.

"A growing number of state Republican operations are either broke or perilously close to it," Burns explains. "Last year, the Minnesota Republican Party reported having only $53 in the bank and over $330,000 in debt. In January, Michigan's Republicans faced bankruptcy amid a brutal MAGA leadership fight. So much for being the party of fiscal responsibility."

According to Burns, Democrats neglected their state operations when Barack Obama was president. Obama enjoyed a decisive reelection victory in 2012, but two years earlier, U.S. House Republicans enjoyed a massive red wave. Democrats lost control of some state legislatures in key swing states—and now, Burns says, Republicans are in a similar position.

"Republicans now find themselves in a similar position to Democrats in the years following Barack Obama's successful 2008 campaign," Burns explains. "Then, Obama effectively replaced the Democratic National Committee's fundraising operations with his own Obama for America/Organizing for Action campaign operation. "

The RNC, according to the Democratic strategist, "isn't coming to the rescue" of "starved state operations."

"Republicans can thank Donald Trump for their current financial problems," Burns emphasizes. "Trump's deal with the RNC requires the party to run its donations first through his Save America PAC — which already paid over $50 million toward Trump's personal legal fees in 2023 alone. That was before RNC co-chair Lara Trump mused about skipping the middleman making the GOP pay Trump's legal bills directly…. Republicans chose an awful time to go broke."

Max Burns' full MSNBC op-ed is available at this link.

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