A draft resolution obtained by The Dispatch reveals that the RNC could declare Trump its presumptive nominee after only two states have voted in the Republican primary.
The resolution was created by RNC committeeman from Maryland David Bossie just ahead of the RNC winter meeting in Las Vegas.
Here’s more:
The Republican National Committee (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. His effort to put the national party on a general election footing behind Trump follows RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel saying after the former president defeated Haley in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary that it was time for Republicans to unite behind the frontrunner and focus on defeating President Joe Biden.
“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,” reads a key portion of the draft resolution.
Under current RNC rules, Trump still has to win the requisite number of nominating convention delegates—1,215—to become the party’s unchallenged presumptive nominee. After the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, Trump leads Haley in the race for delegates 32 to 17.
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. 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.
The RNC declined to comment for this story, and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While I certainly don’t want Haley to win the nomination, the RNC should let the delegate process play out and for voters to make this determination until Haley actually drops out or loses. Which could come as soon as South Carolina when she loses the state she governed.
To declare Trump the presumptive nominee this early reeks of corruption and makes it look like they are trying to appease Trump or something. As Cryptid Politics said on X:
“The RNC is about to essentially cancel the primary after two small states voted if they approve this resolution making Trump the presumptive nominee. This is absurd. I don’t like @NikkiHaley, but Donald Trump is not the presumptive nominee until he wins enough delegates to qualify for that title.”