(DCWatchdog.com) – Nikki Haley, still in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, has thrown some heavy punches at Donald Trump over his recent moves within the Republican National Committee (RNC) as Trump’s been busy putting his stamp on the party’s leadership, endorsing folks he wants in the top spots.
On Monday, Trump gave his nod to Michael Whatley, the big boss of the North Carolina GOP, to take over from Ronna McDaniel as the head of the RNC. McDaniel’s expected to bow out after South Carolina’s GOP primary wraps up. Trump didn’t stop there; he’s also backing his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, for the co-chair position and his senior campaign adviser, Chris LaCivita, to be the RNC’s chief operating officer.
Haley aired her grievances on Fox News Channel, questioning Trump’s influence on the RNC. “Now you go and you look at what he did with the RNC yesterday … he’s going and changing out leadership, so that it’s somebody that he prefers and his daughter-in-law to co-chair?” she said. “He’s putting his campaign manager as the director? Are we gonna let him just take over the party that’s gonna control the convention, too? At what point do we not see the problem? We don’t have kings in this country,” Haley added.
She also brought up a ditched proposal that would’ve named Trump the GOP’s automatic pick for the presidency, a move Trump distanced himself from. Yet, Trump’s recent comments and endorsements suggest he sees himself as the “presumptive nominee” for the party.
In his statement, Trump laid out his vision for the RNC’s role in the upcoming presidential election. “The RNC MUST be a good partner in the Presidential election. It must do the work we expect from the national Party and do it flawlessly,” he said. Trump emphasized the importance of fair elections, rallying votes even in tough areas, and collaborating with his campaign to “win this election and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
As the South Carolina primary nears, Haley is the last significant challenger to Trump for the GOP nod. Despite Trump’s victories in early-state contests, including Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, the battle for the RNC’s leadership is far from over, hinging on the upcoming elections within the committee.
