According to reports, the Republican National Committee has decided not to use the term “presumptive” when referring to Trump as the nominee, following his rejection of the idea.
The Republican National Committee has withdrawn a proposal to potentially name Donald Trump as the “presumed nominee” for the party’s 2024 presidential race, according to a source familiar with the matter on Thursday.
The announcement of the withdrawal was made not long after Trump shared on his Truth Social platform that he was grateful for the idea, but believed that for the sake of party unity, it would be best not to proceed with the plan. Instead, he suggested completing the process through traditional means by having voters make their choice at the ballot box.
The measure, according to a draft obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, had said it “declares President Trump as our presumptive 2024 nominee for the office of President of the United States and from this moment forward moves into full general election mode welcoming supporters of all candidates as valued members of Team Trump 2024.”
After coming in second place to Trump in New Hampshire, McDaniel stated that although she believed the former ambassador had a strong campaign, it was important for Republicans to come together and support our eventual nominee, who is likely to be Donald Trump.
The RNC’s winter meeting in Las Vegas next week is likely to address the resolution, even though only two states have voted and the former president does not have enough delegates to secure the nomination.
The RNC does not have the authority to determine the GOP nominee, according to Haley’s camp’s statement on Thursday.
“The opinion of the RNC is irrelevant. The decision of who our party’s nominee should be will be determined by the millions of Republican voters nationwide, not a group of insiders in Washington,” stated Olivia Perez-Cubas, spokesperson for the campaign.
The Associated Press (AP) has a rule to refrain from labeling any candidate as the “presumptive nominee” until they have secured the required number of delegates to win a majority vote at the national party conventions in the upcoming summer. This may occur as early as March.
However, there were no regulations within the party that prevented the RNC from taking this action.
If the proposal had been approved, it could have provided the Republican Party with an early advantage in strategizing for a Presidential election against President Biden, who has already started positioning his campaign for a 2020 rematch against Trump.
The committee has previously declared a candidate as the presumptive nominee even before reaching the required 1,215 delegates to secure the nomination. This was done by then-RNC Chair Reince Priebus in May of 2016 for Trump.
Despite being defeated by Trump in both the Iowa and New Hampshire competitions, Haley has maintained that her success in outlasting all other Trump opponents demonstrates the viability of her campaign.
Trump currently holds 32 delegates while Haley has 17. One delegate remains to be allocated following the New Hampshire competition.
At a rally on Wednesday evening in her hometown of South Carolina, Haley, who was previously the governor, mentioned that her campaign had raised over $1 million since coming in second place in New Hampshire. Trump then made a comment that seemed to be meant to intimidate her supporters.
“From now on, anyone who contributes to Birdbrain will be banned from the MAGA community,” Trump stated, referring to his nickname for Haley and his well-known slogan “Make America Great Again.” He continued, “We do not want them and will not tolerate them, as we always prioritize America first!”
The campaign for Haley announced on Thursday that it received an extra $1.2 million following Trump’s declaration to permanently block any person who donated to Haley’s campaign.
“The recent statements from Donald Trump bring attention to the clear decision facing voters in this election: between personal grudges or true conservative guidance,” stated AnnMarie Graham-Barnes, spokesperson for Haley. “Trump’s plan backfired. The donations to the Haley campaign are steadily increasing – evidence that individuals are tired of the chaos and are standing behind Nikki’s vision for a powerful and proud nation.”
Trump’s rejection of potential donors for Haley did not sway T.J. Petrizzo, a previous high-ranking employee in the Capitol and current lobbyist who backs Haley.
“That’s reminiscent of a scene from ‘The Godfather’. Are you really suggesting one should never betray the family? Let’s think this through.”
Petrizzo acknowledged that certain Republicans may be inclined to shift their focus towards a direct competition between Trump and Biden, but he points out that there is still a significant amount of time remaining before the general election.
Many elected representatives within the Republican Party, including the RNC chair, have expressed the sentiment of needing to unite behind a single candidate and declare them as our chosen nominee.
Petrizzo stated that Iowa and New Hampshire have selected it, so it is important for us to come together and support Trump. He also mentioned that there are still 285 days left until the election, so there is ample time to make a decision.
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Source: cbsnews.com