Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel reportedly declined to participate in a live, public debate with her opponents, according to POLITICO.
McDaniel, seeking a fourth term as chair, cited her “existing commitment to a forum” that the RNC will hold regarding being absent from the live debate, the outlet reported Friday.
Ronna to grassroots: pound sand! @RonnaMcDaniel sidesteps publicly debating her RNC chair rivals – POLITICO @pnjaban @seanspicer @iarnsdorf @realLizUSA please retweet! https://t.co/jnlQWhXi8w
— John Fredericks (@jfradioshow) January 13, 2023
The live debate will be hosted by the John Fredericks Media Network and Real America’s Voice later this month on January 25. McDaniel’s two challengers, RNC committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, will be participating in the debate, POLITICO noted.
Following November’s midterm elections, numerous Republican Party officials voiced frustration with McDaniel’s leadership and, in response, have called for her to resign as chair.
Both Dhillon and Lindell announced their candidacies to run for the chair following the midterm elections, with Lindell announcing his candidacy in late November and Dhillon announcing hers in early December.
"I am 100% running for the RNC chairman against Ronna McDaniel"
— MyPillow CEO and election conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell announces his bid for RNC chair following an endorsement by Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/viYDhxZKXI
— The Recount (@therecount) November 28, 2022
Since announcing her candidacy, Dhillon gained the support of groups including the Texas Republican Party, the Arizona Republican Party, Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, and longtime RNC member Morton Blackwell, founder of the conservative training group The Leadership Institute.
Meanwhile, Lindell has gained smaller, less-public endorsements from those including investigative journalist Laura Loomer and New York congressional candidate Hal Stewart.
Thank you @LauraLoomer https://t.co/B38DIUXkHT
— Mike Lindell (@realMikeLindell) January 10, 2023
Former President Donald Trump recently weighed in on the heated situation, telling Breitbart News in an exclusive interview that he “liked” both Dhillon and McDaniel when asked who he favors more in the race.
Also, former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake called both Dhillon and Lindell “great candidates.”
Wish we could elect TWO Chairs for the RNC.
We have GREAT candidates in both Harmeet Dhillon & Mike Lindell.
President Trump saved the Republican Party—it’s time for the GOP Leadership to stand up and Fight for US!
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸— Kari Lake (@KariLake) December 14, 2022
The RNC leadership election will be held on January 27th during the committee’s winter meeting in Dana Point, California.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Ronna McDaniel” by Ronna McDaniel. Photo “Harmeet Dhillon” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo “Mike Lindell “by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0. Background Photo “Debate Stage” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
