Who is Michael Whatley, Trump’s pick to lead RNC

North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley has gained national attention after former President Trump endorsed him as the next leader of the Republican National Committee (RNC).

Whatley is an ally of President Trump and has echoed the former president’s rhetoric about “election integrity” in the wake of the 2020 election, which Trump has falsely claimed was fraudulent and stolen.

If Mr. Whatley is elected RNC chairman, he would face different challenges in overseeing the party. He worked on the organization’s fundraising battles, made sure the various state party chairs were happy, and ensured that the party’s soil and data operations were on track for the general election. He will need to appease Mr. Trump, whose relationship with Commissioner Ronna McDaniel has deteriorated over the past year.

“I think it would be intolerable for the committee not to approve that person.” [Trump] “I want him to,” said Doug Hay, a former RNC spokesman who has known Whatley for 20 years. “There may be some work to be done on that… It may not be a unanimous vote. But it seems clear that he’s there.”

long republican resume

Mr. Whatley has been involved in Republican politics for decades, including as chief of staff to former Sen. Elizabeth Dole (RN.C) in the George W. Bush administration and as a member of the Trump-Pence transition team.

He has served as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party since 2019 and as general counsel for the RNC since last year. Combined, these two positions of his make him familiar with the inner workings of the committee and many of his 168 members who must vote to become chairman.

During Mr. Whatley’s time as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, the party overturned the state Supreme Court and solidified supermajorities in both chambers of Congress. Republicans failed to take back the governor’s mansion in 2020.

Mr. Whatley’s critics point to his past work in the Bush administration and say it paints him as the kind of Belt and Road insider that Mr. Trump frequently criticizes. And his victory in last year’s North Carolina Republican race prompted a legal challenge from opponents who said some votes were improperly cast. The suit was ultimately dismissed.

Emphasis on “integrity of elections”

Much of the attention surrounding Whatley since his name first surfaced as a potential successor to McDaniel has focused on his work on “election integrity,” but Trump’s 2020 election The RNC focused on this issue while pushing false claims that it was stolen.

“Michael has been with me from the beginning and has done a great job in his home state of North Carolina and is committed to election integrity. We must eliminate fraud from elections so they are not stolen. ” President Trump said in a statement that he supports Whatley.

Whatley, who appeared on a Conservative Political Action Conference panel discussion on “Election Protection” in 2021, detailed efforts to hire hundreds of lawyers and volunteer poll watchers in North Carolina.

He echoed some of President Trump’s rhetoric on mail-in voting, saying absentee voting can be done effectively when combined with voter ID requirements and refraining from mass mailing ballots to residents. .

Whatley pointed out that about 75% of the state Republican Party’s annual operating budget goes toward litigation costs, and suggested this should be reflected across the party.

“This is going to have to be part of the Republican establishment going forward,” he said. “There will be lawsuit after lawsuit.”

As in 2020, President Trump is likely to pressure the RNC to file a legal challenge if the November election does not go his way. And while Mr Whatley’s comments about the legitimacy of the election will attract attention, Mr Hay insisted they were unrealistic. It is inconceivable that President Trump would support someone whose views differ from his own.

“It’s President Donald Trump’s RNC. Can we expect him to support anyone who opposes him in public? No,” Hay said. “The reality is that the party chairman will be a reflection of the candidate.”

President Trump puts his stamp on the RNC

Mr. Whatley’s appointment as chairman is part of Mr. Trump’s broader effort to align the RNC to his liking ahead of the upcoming general election cycle.

In addition to endorsing Whatley, Trump endorsed his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as RNC co-chair. He also announced that Chris Lacivita, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, will move to the RNC, effectively serving as chief operating officer.

Trump is certain to be the party’s nominee in November, and Republicans expect him, like many candidates, to respectfully appoint someone he likes to lead.

“I’ve never had a problem with candidates making their mark on committees,” said Bill Palatucci, a New Jersey RNC member and frequent Trump critic.

“A key element is the senior staff, and in my experience Chris is a professional and understands the role of the RNC in the presidential cycle,” he added. “From there, it’s the responsibility of the executive committee and budget committee to make sure the spending is appropriate.”

It’s unclear when exactly the RNC will vote on Whatley’s appointment. McDaniel is expected to remain chairwoman until the Feb. 24 South Carolina primary, which requires the committee to convene to vote on her replacement before its scheduled summer meeting. be.

Lacivita’s installation will give Trump a trusted aide to oversee RNC operations during that time.

Mr. Whatley’s immediate task will likely be to rebuild the party’s fundraising efforts, which have lagged far behind the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in recent months.

The DNC had nearly three times as much cash as the RNC at the end of 2023, according to Federal Election Commission filings, and the Republican committee had its worst fundraising year in a decade.

“He’s going to hit the ground running, and all this preparation time will allow him to do that, but there’s still the bigger issue of Trump,” Hay said. And Trump is a very fervent supporter, until he isn’t. ”