Trump Endorses Joe Gruters for RNC Chair
President Donald Trump has given his endorsement to Florida GOP Senator Joe Gruters, recommending him to take over as Chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC). This comes as current Chair Michael Whatley is gearing up to launch his campaign for a Senate seat in North Carolina, which is set to be vacant.
As reported by Ballotpedia, Gruters, who has a background as a CPA, co-founded an accounting firm in the Sarasota area. He has been involved in various boards, including the Sarasota County Planning Commission and the Florida Sports Foundation. Gruters was first elected to the Florida House in 2016 and then moved to the Florida Senate in 2018, where he has successfully won reelection in 2020 and 2022.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump also expressed his support for Whatley’s potential run to replace Senator Thom Tillis, who won’t be seeking reelection.
“Mike would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina,” Trump stated regarding Whatley. “He is fantastic at everything he does, and he was certainly great at the RNC where, in the Presidential Election, we won every Swing State, the Popular Vote, and the Electoral College by a landslide!”
Trump further mentioned, “Fortunately, I have somebody who will do a wonderful job as the Chairman of the RNC. His name is Joe Gruters, and he will have my Complete and Total Endorsement. So, should Michael Whatley run for the Senate, please let this notification represent my Complete and Total Endorsement.”
Gruters, who has been a close ally of Trump, took on the role of RNC treasurer earlier this year. He has often found himself at odds with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who was his rival in the 2024 primary.
This strained relationship between Gruters and DeSantis reflects a broader power struggle within the Florida GOP, particularly concerning pivotal policy decisions and political roles. Gruters broke away from the norm in 2024 by supporting a measure, Amendment 3, aimed at legalizing recreational cannabis, something DeSantis was strongly opposed to and actively campaigned against.
“This state [Florida] will start to smell like marijuana … and it will reduce the quality of life,” DeSantis stated previously.
Moreover, in 2023, DeSantis backed legislation that aimed to diminish the influence of teacher unions, while Gruters voted against it, leading to DeSantis criticizing him for prioritizing union interests over conservative reforms.
While the RNC chair position technically requires a vote by the committee’s members, Trump’s endorsement nearly guarantees that Gruters will face little to no opposition.
