Former RNC Chair Blasts Lara Trump

Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), took Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump, to task on Sunday over her proposal for the use of the RNC should she become co-chair of the organization.

The Context:

The current chair of the RNC, Ronna McDaniel, has informed former President Trump that she intends to step down from the role after the South Carolina primary on February 24, according to a report from the New York Times citing anonymous sources close to the matter. This report comes amid months of mounting criticism of McDaniel's performance in the role, particularly from Trump supporters, though she herself has yet to comment on the matter.

Speaking about the situation earlier this week, the former president endorsed Lara Trump, the wife of his son Eric Trump, for the role of RNC co-chair. She previously served as an adviser for his 2020 presidential campaign.

"Lara is an extremely talented communicator and is dedicated to all that MAGA stands for," Trump said in a statement. "She has told me she wants to accept this challenge and would be GREAT!"

Trump, meanwhile, endorsed Michael Whatley, North Carolina Republican Party chair, as the next chairman of the RNC.

Lara Trump previously told Newsmax that, if she were elected to the position of co-chair, she would ensure that the RNC would use its "every penny" on working to reelect her father-in-law in November.

"If I am elected to this position, I can assure you there will not be any more $70,000, or whatever exorbitant amount of money it was, spent on flowers," she said. "Every single penny will go to the number one and the only job of the RNC. That is electing Donald J. Trump as the president of the United States."

What We Know:

Steele previously served as the chair for the RNC from 2009 to 2011. He is now a prominent anti-Trump conservative voice, having endorsed Joe Biden for president in 2020 and making frequent appearances on MSNBC.

During a MSNBC appearance on The Weekend, Steele had strong criticism for Lara Trump's proposal.

"I will start by saying: wrong answer," Steele said on Sunday. "That is not the number one responsibility of the RNC to elect Trump. The number one responsibility is to elect every candidate on the ballot on behalf of the party. It is to raise money for those candidates who are on the ballot. It is to place the infrastructure every candidate will need."

He continued: "You are required — so let me give you a little bit of training here Lara since you want the job — you are required to organize and coordinate every state party and the territories of the United States who are in that Republican family and you are to provide them with a platform from which you will launch a platform to talk about what the party believes in."

Newsweek attempted to reach Lara Trump via email on Sunday morning for comment. Any response received will be added to this story in an update.

Views:

During a Sunday appearance on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo, Lara Trump doubled down on her previous comments about a possible RNC co-chair stint, but did add as well a focus on growing the GOP presence in the House and Senate.

"What I can assure you is that if I am there, I will make sure that every single penny donated to the RNC goes to electing Donald Trump, and again, extending our lead in the House and taking back the Senate," she said.

In response to the former president's endorsement of his daughter-in-law, Michael Cohen, who previously served as his personal attorney, claimed that he did not actually like her for many years.

"In fact, first and foremost, Donald didn't even like her for many, many years," Cohen said on a recent episode of Ben Meiselas' Political Beatdown podcast. "He didn't want Eric to even marry her. He had found somebody else that was working at the Trump Organization that he wanted Eric to marry. And of course, not only did Donald make fun of her looks, but so of course did [Donald Trump Jr.] and Ivanka [Trump], they all made fun of her looks. They just didn't like her at all."

What's Next?

The situation surrounding the leadership of the RNC cannot be resolved fully until McDaniel officially announces her plans, which reports claim she will not do for another six days. In a previous statement to Newsweek, an RNC spokesman stressed that a decision will not come until after the South Carolina primary.

"Nothing has changed. This will be decided after South Carolina," RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper said.

Update 2/18/24, 11:32 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Update 2/18/24, 11:38 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.