New RNC chair accidentally says America is better off now than under Trump

Newly elected Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley falsely said during an appearance on Fox News on Friday that America is in a better place today than it was under President Trump.

Whatley tried to argue that the country is worse off under President Biden’s leadership than it was four years ago when President Trump was in office, but that the country will improve if the former president is re-elected. However, he misspoken the statement on the air.

“At the end of the day, this comes down to a very simple contrast between President Trump and President Biden,” Whatley said. “Were you better off four years ago than you are now? The answer across this country is no. The bottom line is yes.”

“We will now be better off under President Trump than we were under President Biden,” he stumbled.

Mr Whatley took over the leadership position last week. Since then, he has been instigating a major reset in the party.

More than 60 people, including senior staff, have been laid off in recent days. Trump secured the party’s nomination in the general election, and the cuts signal changes are coming for the party as it prepares to face President Biden in the fall.

Mr Whatley justified the cuts by saying the party was “realigning the committee to ensure we are focused on getting out of the primaries”.

“Now that we have a presumptive candidate, it is absolutely imperative that we make sure that our plans and campaigns are aligned with the president’s,” he said.

The big question going forward is whether the RNC will fund President Trump’s spiraling legal costs. The former president was ordered to pay more than $500 million in fines. He faces 91 felonies in four indictments.

Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law, was selected as RNC co-chair along with Whatley. She previously said she intended to use “every dime” of RNC funds to support her father-in-law’s re-election bid.