RNC Hits Back at Trump’s Cease and Desist, Claiming He Approves the Use of His Name

 

Over the weekend, news broke that lawyers for former President Donald Trump sent the Republican National Committee a cease-and-desist to the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee for invoking his name in their fundraising emails.

One Trump adviser told Politico, “President Trump remains committed to the Republican Party and electing America First conservatives, but that doesn’t give anyone — friend or foe — permission to use his likeness without explicit approval.”

The RNC has now responded to the cease and desist from the Trump team by not only rejecting it outright, but claiming the former president himself told the RNC he still approves.

Politico broke news Monday that RNC chief counsel Justin Riemer sent a letter to Trump’s attorney saying they have “every right to refer to public figures as it engages in core, First Amendment-protected political speech.”

It also notably says this:

In his letter, Riemer writes that Trump and RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel “enjoy a close relationship, and we understand that President Trump reaffirmed to her over the weekend that he approves of the RNC’s current use of his name in fundraising and other materials, including for our upcoming donor retreat event at Palm Beach at which we look forward to him participating.”

Trump has made it clear he plans to campaign for some Republicans to help the party win in 2022, but he’s also made no secret of his anger at some key party leaders for, among other things, not going along with his baseless election claims.

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Josh Feldman is a Senior Editor at Mediaite. Email him here: josh@mediaite.com Follow him on Twitter: @feldmaniac