The Republican National Committee (RNC) could be moving to name former President Donald Trump its presumptive nominee after just a handful of states held primary contests.
On Thursday, The Dispatch’s David Drucker reported the RNC is “reviewing a draft resolution that, if approved, would declare Donald Trump the party’s presumptive 2024 presidential nominee even as Nikki Haley continues to wage a vigorous campaign against the former president and frontrunner.”
“The draft resolution, obtained by The Dispatch Thursday morning, was proposed by David Bossie, an RNC committeeman from Maryland and close Trump ally,” Drucker continued.
The draft resolution states:
“RESOLVED that the Republican National Committee hereby declares President Trump as our presumptive 2024 nominee for the office of President of the United States and from this moment forward moves into full general election mode welcoming supporters of all candidates as valued members of Team Trump 2024.”
NEWS: Republican National Committee reviewing a draft resolution that if approved would declare TRUMP the party’s presumptive 2024 nominee even as @NikkiHaley wages a vigorous campaign against the frontrunner. https://t.co/rl5aiQ90ap @thedispatch
— David M. Drucker (@DavidMDrucker) January 25, 2024
The Dispatch notes Trump has won 32 delegates after the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.
However, normally a candidate needs 1,215 to become the presumptive nominee.
“But passage of this resolution, possibly next week at the RNC winter meeting in Las Vegas, could begin a preemptive process of the national party working with the former president as if he had already done so. And under RNC rules, that is permissible,” Drucker wrote. “This resolution, even in draft form, also functions as another sign that the GOP establishment is anxious to coalesce behind Trump and put an end to a presidential primary that, after his victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, the former president looks poised to win.”
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley brushed off the draft resolution telling the outlet, “Who cares what the RNC says.”
“We’ll let millions of Republican voters across the country decide who should be our party’s nominee, not a bunch of Washington insiders. If Ronna McDaniel wants to be helpful she can organize a debate in South Carolina, unless she’s also worried that Trump can’t handle being on the stage for 90 minutes with Nikki Haley,” the campaign added.
The move comes as RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel urged Haley to drop out.
“I’m looking at the map and the path going forward and I don’t see it for Nikki Haley,” McDaniel said during an appearance on Fox News.
She added, “I think she has run a great campaign, but I do think there is a message that is coming out from the voters, which is very clear: We need to unite around our eventual nominee, which is going to be Donald Trump. And we need to make sure we beat Joe Biden.”