Nikki Haley Raises Concerns Over Trump’s Election Strategy: Daughter-in-Law Lara Trump and NCGOP Chair Whatley Nominated for Top GOP Positions
In a surprising move, former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has voiced concerns over Donald Trump’s recent endorsements for key positions within the Republican National Committee (RNC). Trump has nominated North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley to be the next head of the RNC, with Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, set to serve as co-chair.
Haley, speaking at an event in Bamberg, South Carolina, on Tuesday, suggested that Trump’s decision to replace current RNC chair Ronna McDaniel and appoint his daughter-in-law and a former adviser to top leadership positions raises questions about the integrity of the upcoming 2024 election. She remarked, “Is that how you’re going to try and take an election?”
The former South Carolina governor further commented later in the day, stating that Trump seems determined to “continue to take the party so that it does what he wants it to do.”
In response, Trump’s campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, dismissed Haley’s remarks, calling her “Nikki ‘Braindead Birdbrain'” and accusing her of desperation. He suggested she was seeking attention for a potential future cable news contract.
Trump’s endorsements on Monday included Michael Whatley for RNC chair, Lara Trump for co-chair, and Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to his re-election campaign, for the role of RNC’s chief operating officer. While Whatley has a history of working with Trump, Lara Trump’s political experience is notably less extensive, having primarily contributed to her father-in-law’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns and served as an on-air contributor on Fox News.
In an interview on Newsmax, Lara Trump emphasized her commitment to making the RNC a formidable political force. She stated, “the RNC needs to be the leanest, most lethal political fighting machine we’ve ever seen in American history.” Lara Trump pledged that, if elected as co-chair, every penny would be dedicated to the singular goal of electing Donald J. Trump as president and “saving this country.”
As signs point to RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel potentially stepping down after South Carolina’s GOP primary on Feb. 24, Trump’s latest endorsements are drawing attention not just for their political implications but also for the questions they raise about the future direction of the Republican Party.
With allegations of election fraud still lingering from the 2020 election and Trump facing legal challenges, the nominations of family members and close advisers to key party roles add another layer of controversy to the ongoing political landscape.
In a surprising move, former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has voiced concerns over Donald Trump’s recent endorsements for key positions within the Republican National Committee (RNC). Trump has nominated North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley to be the next head of the RNC, with Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, set to serve as co-chair. Haley,…