Amid Donald Trump's efforts to assert control over the Republican National Committee (RNC), a member of the committee is advocating for neutrality until Trump officially becomes the presidential nominee. Henry Barbour, a national committeeman from Mississippi, is circulating two draft resolutions for consideration at the RNC's upcoming March meeting in Houston.
Barbour's first proposed resolution aims to keep the RNC neutral throughout the presidential primary, refraining from taking sides until a candidate secures the necessary delegates to become the nominee. The second resolution emphasizes that the RNC will not cover the legal expenses of any candidate for federal or state office, focusing instead on activities directly related to the 2024 election.
Trump's recent public statements calling for the replacement of current RNC leaders with individuals from his campaign, including his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, have sparked concerns within the party. Lara Trump had suggested that the RNC should cover her father-in-law's legal bills, a notion dismissed by Trump's senior campaign adviser Chris LaCivita, who emphasized the RNC's primary goal of defeating Joe Biden and reclaiming the White House.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, a contender in the GOP primary against Trump, voiced opposition to a family member or campaign manager leading the RNC, underscoring the need for impartiality and the broader interests of the Republican Party.
The RNC had been covering some of Trump's legal expenses related to cases initiated during his presidency but ceased payments once he re-entered the political arena for the 2024 election. Trump is currently facing multiple legal challenges, both civil and criminal, with substantial legal debts exceeding half a billion dollars.
Barbour's stance underscores the belief that RNC funds should be allocated exclusively towards electoral victories and political activities, rather than legal matters. The resolutions proposed by Barbour aim to uphold the RNC's core mission of securing electoral success and maintaining impartiality in the presidential primary process.
