'One of the worst years that we’ve ever seen': Republicans demand new RNC leadership

03 February 2024

When adjusting for inflation, the Republican National Committee (RNC) just had its worst fundraising year in roughly three decades. At the party's recent winter meeting, GOP activists called for a new leader at the helm as a way to drum up donations in a critical election year.

According to the New York Times, the cash-strapped RNC — which has been led by Ronna McDaniel since 2016 — has been beset by internal strife after its latest financial filing showed just $8 million in cash and $1.8 million in debt heading into a presidential election. To compare, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) went into 2024 with roughly $20 million in cash on hand, which is the most the party has had going into an election year, according to the Hill. Additionally, CNN reported that between President Joe Biden's reelection campaign, the DNC and related fundraising committees,, Democrats had more than $117 million in cash on hand at the end of 2023.

"This is one of the worst years that we’ve ever seen," said RNC committeeman Tyler Bowyer, who wants the RNC to formally merge with former President Donald Trump's campaign.

The RNC's executive committee voted to authorize getting a line of credit at its winter meeting, which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada between January 30 and February 3. The party projected revenue of $200 million, but expected that figure to be much higher should it join forces with Trump's fundraising operations. Other GOP activists used the winter meeting to push for the ouster of McDaniel.

"The grassroots donors have completely dried up — they don’t want to support the RNC," Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk told the Times, adding that a new party leader was needed to shake up "the deep state of the RNC."

Influential figures within the GOP have pointed to the party's recent losses in 2023 — like the Kentucky gubernatorial election and Ohio voting to permanently enshrine reproductive rights in its state constitution — as a reason to force McDaniel out of her position. Far-right influencer Rogan O'Handley said McDaniel's leadership could "sink" the GOP in 2024. Steven Friars, an RNC committeeman from Rhode Island, told the Times that it's been "very challenging for the Republican Party at the national level to raise money" and that some activists think Trump's likely nomination could "solve a lot of our problems."

"But I think there is also a counterpoint to that, which is: Once Trump becomes the nominee, there’s a whole bunch of people who used to give to the party who will say, ‘I’m not giving to the party,’" he added.

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