‘We Need a Change’: DeSantis Endorses Ronna McDaniel Ouster as RNC Prepares to Vote

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) called for change at the top of the Republican National Committee, endorsing the challenger to current chair Ronna McDaniel.

“I think we need a change, and I think we need to get some new blood in the RNC,” DeSantis told pro-Trump activist Charlie Kirk in an interview on Thursday.

Former President Donald Trump, who may very well face DeSantis in the 2024 presidential election, has declined to endorse McDaniel for a fourth term. Her leadership has been imperiled by a disappointing showing for Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections — as well as a serious challenge from from Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer and California national committee member.

DeSantis expressed support for Dhillon in the interview with Kirk, as well as an implicit criticism of Republican electoral failures under McDaniel’s leadership of the RNC.

“I like what Harmeet Dhillon has said about getting the RNC outside of DC – why would you want to have your headquarters in the most Democrat city in America?” DeSantis said. “We’ve had three substandard election cycles in a row – ’18, ’20, and ’22 – and I would say of all three of those, ’22 was probably the worst given the political environment of a very unpopular President in Biden.”

“Huge majorities of the people think the country is going in the wrong direction. That is an environment that is tailor-made to make big gains in the House, in the Senate, and in State Houses all across the country, and yet that didn’t happen, and in fact, we even lost ground in the US Senate,” he added.

All 168 members of the RNC are currently gathered in Dana Point, California for a days-long summit that will culminate on Friday with the vote for its next leader.

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