Ronna McDaniel, right, chairman of the Republican National Committee, and Kayleigh McEnany, press secretary of the White House, conduct a press conference to discuss the Pennsylvania dispute and give an overview of the post-election scenario on the RNC in Capitol on Monday, November 9, 2020.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
The leaders of the Republican Party’s three main committees praised former President Donald Trump on Wednesday for pledging his support for them, even as Trump is actively asking Republican donors to send his money directly to him.
The committee’s response was the latest indication that the Republican Party remains firmly under the control of the former president, even as he criticizes prominent members of the party who criticized him.
“We look forward to working with President Trump to retake our majorities in Congress and deliver results to the American people,” said the joint statement by Republican National Committee chairman Ronna McDaniel, Republican Senatorial National Committee chairman Rick Scott and President of the Republic. Republican National Committee, Tom Emmer.
“The RNC, the NRSC and the NRCC are grateful for President Trump’s support, both in the past and in the future,” the statement said. “Through their powerful agenda, we were able to break fundraising records and elect Republicans up and down at the polls.”
Trump, who commands overwhelming support from Republican voters even after losing his run for re-election, is discouraging Republicans from sending money to “people who don’t have the Republican Party’s best interests in mind”.
These people, according to Trump, comprise an as yet unspecified group of “fools” and “RINOs” – a derogatory term that means “Republicans in name only”.
Instead, Trump is directing people to his own political action committee, Save America. Donations to this committee, known as the leadership PAC, can be used to pay for all types of personal expenses.
Since the defeat to President Joe Biden, Trump has attacked several key Republicans, including Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, and Republican House Speaker Liz Cheney. He continued to spread unfounded conspiracy theories and lies about electoral fraud that banned him from social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
Last month, Trump repeatedly stated that there is “only one way” to keep the so-called America First movement alive – by contributing to his PAC Save America and through his website.
In his most recent statement on Tuesday night, Trump said: “I fully support the Republican Party and major Republican committees, but I do not support RINOs and fools.”
That statement stated that by donating to Save America, “you are helping the America First movement and doing it right.”
Trump’s PAC has raised tens of millions of dollars since it was formed after the November 3 election. That money can be used for “just about anything” that Trump wants, experts say – including benefits for him and his family.
“It is entirely possible that Trump can use Save America both to maintain control and influence over the Republican Party and to benefit himself and his family personally,” said Brendan Fischer, director of the Federal Reform Program at the Campaign Legal Center , to CNBC.
At the same time, Trump is promoting his own PAC, he is demanding that the GOP stop using his name and image in his own fundraising efforts.
Trump’s lawyers sent cease and desist letters to the three Republican committees last week. On Monday, RNC legal adviser J. Justin Riemer rejected Trump’s demand, saying the organization “has every right to refer to public figures … and will continue to do so in pursuit of these goals. common. “
Wednesday’s statement from the RNC, NRSC and NRCC seemed to demonstrate that the GOP remains willing to invoke the Trump brand in its fundraising messages.
Trump and the RNC raised hundreds of millions of dollars in the 2020 election cycle, as well as more than $ 200 million in the weeks before and after the election itself, when Trump was aggressively spreading electoral fraud conspiracy theories.