Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of former president Donald Trump, recently stated that she would spend all of the RNC’s money to see her father-in-law re-elected as the president. Unfortunately, former chairman of the RNC, Michael Steele, said that her plan could never work. Let’s see why.
Every Penny to Elect Trump
Lara Trump’s statement last week noted that she was willing to spend every single penny the RNC had to ensure that her father-in-law was elected as president. She underlined that it was a matter of utmost importance since she knew he would save the country.
She stated that the RNC’s top responsibility was ensuring their candidate entered office. Because of that, she justified that spending every cent the organization had to achieve this goal was expected.
The Wrong Answer
Michael Steele was quick to jump on Lara Trump’s statements and point out how bad it was for the GOP. First, he highlighted that the RNC was under no obligation to ensure that Donald Trump was reelected as president. Moreover, there were questions about whether he would even get the nod to run for the GOP.
Steele corrected Lara Trump’s statement in the simplest and most concise way possible. He reminded her and everyone else that the RNC’s responsibility is to raise money for all the candidates who are trying to get elected as president and ensure the infrastructure exists for them.
Some Quick On The Job Training
Steele was very generous in correcting Lara Trump as well. He told her that, since she wanted the job of the chairperson of the RNC, she would need to understand the responsibilities associated with the role. As a former chair, he was very well-suited to inform her of those requirements.
He told her that the RNC was required to arrange platforms in all states so that the candidates could get their message out to the public. The responsibility of the RNC, he reminded her, was about getting the party’s message out to the people, not getting any candidate elected.
Trump Facing Opposition For The Candidacy
While Lara Trump wants the position of co-chair for the RNC, there’s no guarantee that her father-in-law will be running on behalf of the GOP. While Trump currently has a huge support base, the traditional arm of the party, including some of its financiers, is not happy with him as the candidate.
Some members of the traditional Republican cohort have put up legal barriers to Trump being the GOP representative for the presidential race. Legal motions have been filed in several states to remove him from the ballot based on his involvement in the Capitol insurrection.
A Serious Responsibility
Lara Trump is one of the current co-chairs for the RNC, and the responsibility of the office is not one to be taken lightly. During election season, there are a lot of logistical challenges in setting up debates and platforms for all the candidates. Her statement about spending the RNC’s money to ensure her father-in-law gets elected is dangerous.
Previously, Trump had shown that he was not above causing civil disobedience in response to a political outcome he didn’t like. He’s also been accused of tampering with election results in the past. The question is, does the RNC want to trust the co-chair position to his daughter-in-law?
Facing Severe Financial Strain
Trump has recently faced a series of devastating convictions against him. New York has found him guilty of several counts of fraud and has hit him with fines totaling over $300 Million. He has also had to settle a case for defamation which has cut into his financing.
While he might have called upon massive reserves of money for his first presidential win, it’s clear that he doesn’t have access to those boundless reserves anymore. He would have to rely more heavily on the RNC’s campaign funding to get him across the finish line.
State Parties May Suffer
One of the more telling things about Lara Trump’s statements is her willingness to simply lean into funding a single candidate’s bid for the presidency. Aside from the other Republican candidates that will also need the funding, this approach will likely cause severe hardship to other state parties.
The RNC is also responsible for funding state parties and offering them the infrastructure they need to build the party’s support at the ground level. If that funding goes toward a single candidate, these small parties will be unable to support their efforts to build up the GOP’s support base.
Trump’s No Stranger To Using Party Funding For Personal Needs
The former president’s legal battles have seen him rack up some hefty fines. In the past, he had no qualms about spending money collected for his campaign on paying off legal fees. With Lara Trump co-chairing the RNC, there’s a chance that some money may be funneled away to pay for his fines.
The conflict of interest here is palpable, and many GOP supporters would have realized that having Lara Trump as co-chair of the RNC could lead to some funds ending up in the wrong place. But what can the GOP do about this situation?
Unqualified Except By Relation
Michael Steele and other RNC chairs had a wealth of experience behind them or connections that could aid the GOP in funding its candidates. Adding Lara Trump as a co-chair seems like nepotism rather than an attempt to make the party more viable for the next election.
The GOP’s choice of co-chair puts the RNC in firm control of Trump and his allies. This is the perfect storm for the former president to get all the support he needs to beat out other candidates for the presidency.
Funding Crunch Coming
If Lara Trump does what she wants to, it will cause a severe pinch in funding for smaller Republican parties, especially those in Blue states that need the funding. The funding usually goes towards helping these parties get traction since they can’t count on donations.
Election years usually mean massive funding from the core party. Smaller Republican parties rely on this funding to survive. Lara Trump’s approach may destroy the support base in some of these areas.
A Crisis Of Leadership
Many GOP supporters have noticed the crisis in leadership that’s plaguing the party. Appointments like Lara Trump only serve to highlight that the GOP is losing all semblance of opposition against the Democrats.
Despite Lara Trump stating her priorities as the co-chair, her actions could cause severe damage to smaller Republican party groups. Steele was right in correcting her, but whether she takes his advice remains an open question.
