Less than a month after Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel's resignation, The Guardian reported Monday, March 11 that ex-President Donald Trump's "new leadership team at the Republican National Committee started the process of ousting scores of staffers on Monday night, clearing out its ranks as they prepare to bring the Committee under the wing of the Trump 2024 presidential campaign, sources familiar with the matter said."
This move came immediately after Trump ally Michael Whatley and Lara Trump — the MAGA hopeful's daughter-in-law were selected to replace McDaniel to lead the committee.
During the latest episode of MSNBC's The Beat with Ari Melber, guest host Katie Phang spoke with Vermont Republican Party Chair Paul Dame about his take on the Trump takeover of the party. Phang also interviewed political analyst and Vanity Fair special correspondent Molly Jong-Fast, who took a moment to fact-check the GOP leader on his suggestion that the RNC seems to be emulating the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
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"What recourse do you and others that have a concern about this purge that is happening at the RNC — What's the recourse for you if you don't think these are the right moves that need to be done at the RNC?" Phang asked Dame.
The Vermont Republican leader replied, "Well, you know, the Republican party is still built from the bottom up. At our next meeting, members have a lot of options. It'll be the meeting right before the convention so things about rules, passing resolutions. And then ultimately, next January, there will be a new vote to elect leadership. The term ended prematurely here when Ronna McDaniel stepped down and Michael Whatley is filling in for now until next January."
He continued, "Republicans from all 50 states and territories will have an opportunity to weigh in after we see the November election results on what happens. And I think my concern has been it looks like Trump is kind of moving the RNC in the same direction we've seen the DNC for years being very top down. A lot of people saw how super delegate situation in the DNC really robbed Bernie Sanders of an opportunity. And up to this point, the RNC has been very much bottom up, but maybe that's changing under trump leadership."
Phang emphasized, "Paul, Molly and I are going to disagree with you on that."
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Jong-Fast replied, "I mean it's a very nice Republican talking point to say that about super delegates stealing from Bernie, but, in fact — it's from 2016, it's been debunked. and also I might add, Bernie was quick to endorse Joe Biden and has again. I understand republicans are upset what happened to the RNC, but I do not think this is the moment -- I mean, you have a problem with your party and what's going to happen to state parties, but I don't know how much this has to do with the DNC."
In 2018, CNN reported that "Democrats voted to chip away at the role party insiders play in choosing the party’s presidential nominee in one of the biggest changes to the process in decades."
The news outlet noted:
The move to limit the influence of 'superdelegates' at the party’s convention ahead of the 2020 presidential primaries ended an emotional and tumultuous two-year effort born out of the divisive 2016 contest between Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who went on to become the Democratic nominee.
In a surprisingly united vote, almost all members of the Democratic National Convention curtailed the ability of the superdelegates to vote on the first ballot for the party’s presidential nominee beginning with the next election. The group of about 700 automatic, unpledged party leaders, elected officials and activists previously were able to back whichever candidate for the nomination they chose.
Watch the video at this link.
