A draft resolution presented by a senior member of the Republican National Committee aims to delay the party's official backing of former President Donald Trump as its nominee for the upcoming presidential election.
Another proposed resolution seeks to prevent the RNC from covering Trump's legal expenses. These developments indicate a potential rift within the party regarding its alignment with Trump and the allocation of resources, NBC News reported.
The resolutions were sponsored by Henry Barbour, Mississippi's national committeeman.
According to CNN, the resolution regarding backing states: "The Republican National Committee and its leadership will stay neutral throughout the Presidential primary and not take on additional staff from any of the active Presidential campaigns until a nominee is clearly determined by reaching 1,215 delegates."
Despite Trump's dominance in Republican primaries and caucuses thus far, Barbour's neutrality resolution aims to curb premature alignment with Trump's candidacy, potentially slowing down efforts for his team to assume control of the RNC.
In contrast to the Democratic National Committee and Joe Biden's campaign, the Trump campaign and the RNC have not initiated a joint fundraising committee, impeding coordinated financial endeavors, according to NBC News.
Trump's campaign criticized Barbour's neutrality resolution, emphasizing the urgency of defeating Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and reclaiming the presidency.
"The primary is over, and it is the RNC's sole responsibility to defeat Joe Biden and win back the White House," said Trump's campaign co-manager, Chris LaCivita, whom Trump has said he plans to install as chief operating officer of the RNC.
"Efforts to delay that assist Joe Biden in the destruction of our nation," LaCivita continued. "Republicans cannot stand on the sidelines and allow this to happen."
Barbour's legal fees resolution states, "The Republican National Committee will not pay the legal bills of any of our candidates for any federal or state office, but will focus our spending on efforts directly related to the 2024 election cycle."
In a Saturday statement to NBC News, Barbour said, "We brought forth these two resolutions to make sure there is a serious discussion about protecting the primary process while there are still two candidates competing and preventing the RNC from paying the legal bills of any political candidate unrelated to the election cycle."
The resolutions are set to be deliberated during the RNC's gathering in Houston on March 7 and 8.
Meanwhile, uncertainty looms over the tenure of RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, as calls for her replacement by Michael Whatley persist.
Trump has endorsed Whatley, the chairman of North Carolina's Republican Party, as McDaniel's successor.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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