Members of the Republican National Committee voted Friday to re-elect Chairman Michael Whatley in a clear vote to continue operating the national committee.
“This organization must be the tip of the spear. And as chairman, I pledge that this organization will be the tip of the spear that protects Donald Trump,” he said in a unanimous vote at the RNC's annual meeting. said Whatley, speaking after the vote. The conference was held in the nation's capital this year ahead of President-elect Trump's inauguration on Monday.
Whatley, a longtime Trump ally and key supporter of Trump's election integrity efforts, served as RNC general counsel and North Carolina Republican Party chairman last March. He was nominated by former President Trump to chair the committee after he secured the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. . Whatley replaced longtime RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, who Trump no longer supported.
In an exclusive interview with FOX News Digital on the sidelines of the RNC's winter meetings, Whatley said the job ahead is easy with the 2025 election and 2026 midterm elections.
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Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley will be unanimously re-elected at the RNC Winter Meetings in Washington, DC on January 17, 2025. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
“It's very important to us that we make sure that Trump supporters become Republican supporters,” Whatley told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the RNC Winter Meetings in the nation's capital.
The Republican Party achieved a landslide victory in the November election, and President-elect Trump was defeated. Vice President Kamala Harris took back the White House, Republicans wrested back the Senate majority from Democrats and maintained their slim majority in the House.
Interviewed Thursday on the eve of the formal RNC chair vote, Whatley said Republicans need to “consolidate the gains” they made in the 2024 election.
“We're going to get right back to the fundamentals we had during this election cycle, which is getting the vote out and protecting the ballot,” Whatley stressed.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley gaveld to hold the Republican National Convention on Monday, July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The RNC chair noted that “lessons we learned” in the 2024 cycle are “about cornering low-propensity voters, making sure we reach all voters, and bringing in new communities.” He said it helped the Republicans win. We're seeing historic increases among African American voters, Asian American voters, Hispanic voters, young voters, and women voters. ”
Speaking days before the president-elect's inauguration, Whatley said that once President Trump arrives at the White House, “we're going to go right back to the RNC. We're going to roll up our sleeves and get to work. We're going to… I intend to do it,” he emphasized. There are some gubernatorial races…we’re going to work on that in 2025.”
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But Mr Whatley said “everything is focused on 2026” when the party will protect its majorities in both houses of parliament, adding: “That's why from an agenda perspective we have a two-year window to work in. This is because the decision will be made as to whether it will be for four years or four years.” And America needs us to have a four-year plan. ”
“What we're trying to do is make sure we register voters,” Whatley said. “We're going to…be in contact with the people we need to search for.”
Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Whatley is interviewed by Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the RNC's winter meetings on January 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
“The basics are the same,” he said, referring to the 2024 presidential election.
However, he noted that “the seven states are not the only battleground states,” and that the 2026 campaign “will definitely be a very competitive midterm election cycle.”
Although Democrats would disagree, Whatley called today's Republican Party “a party of good sense…This is a party that will fight for every family in America and every community in America.”
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“We have two former Democratic presidents,” Whatley said, referring to former Democrats Robert F. We have candidates and we've touted the fact that they're going to be the next government.'' This shows that this is a common-sense agenda and can be advanced with a common-sense team. ”
In December, President Trump asked Whatley to continue as RNC chair through the 2026 cycle.
Asked whether President-elect Trump's return to the White House would limit his ability to communicate with him, Whatley said: “I think we'll be able to talk when we need to talk.” “We're going to support the president and his policies. That won't change. What will change is the White House's ability to actually implement the policies he campaigned for.”
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Co-chair Lara Trump made her final appearance at the RNC during the winter meetings. The president-elect's daughter-in-law is resigning from her position.
He emphasized that it is important for the RNC to take advantage of “the opportunities that voters have given us” to “continue to expand the Republican brand.”
Mr. Trump, who is aging, is term-limited and cannot run for office again in 2028. Vice President-elect Sen. J.D. Vance is likely to be considered the frontrunner for the 2028 Republican nomination.
Vice President-elect J.D. Vance (left) and President-elect Trump during election night celebrations at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Whatley reiterated what he told Fox News Digital in December that the RNC intends to remain neutral in the upcoming Republican nomination contest and that the party “has a great bench.”
“Think about the talented people on the Republican side of the aisle right now, the governors, the senators, the congressmen, the people who are going to serve in this administration. “I love it.'' We're ready to field great candidates in 2028,'' he stressed.
Unlike the DNC, which reversed traditional policy in the 2024 cycle. presidential candidate nomination calendar, The RNC did not make any major changes to its primary lineup, keeping the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary as its first two races.
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Asked about the 2028 calendar, Whatley told Fox News: “We haven't had any conversations with anyone who wants to change the calendar, so we'll wait and see what happens. We're currently , there's an RNC meeting this week and I'm having conversations with a lot of people, but it's not a big driver.”
“I don’t think the calendar change really did anything for Democrats,” Whatley argued. “And I think it's going to be important to make sure we're operating the system the same way we always have.”
