The Republican party is doomed by Trujmp.
"WASHINGTON (AP) — The direction of the Republican National Committee is clear from the last name of its new second-in-command: Trump.
“My No. 1 goal is making sure that Donald Trump is the 47th president,” said Lara Trump, the RNC co-chair, in an Associated Press interview.
It’s one more step in solidifying Trump’s hold over the Republican Party. The daughter-in-law of the former president has wasted no time in rebranding the typically staid committee in Trump’s image, embracing her own version of his pugilistic politics and brash management style in ways that affirm his sway over the Republican establishment.
The RNC has fired dozens of longtime staffers and sought alliances with election deniers, conspiracy theorists and alt-right advocates the party had previously kept at arm’s length. Lara Trump, who is married to Trump’s third child, Eric, has been an outspoken defender of the former president and has not hesitated to blast his foes, promising four years of “scorched earth” political retribution if he wins the election.
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She has led a steep increase in fundraising, a particularly acute need for Trump’s election bid because his political fundraising operations have spent tens of millions of dollars in legal fees to defend him in criminal and civil cases.
Trump supporters say Lara Trump is breathing new life into the party, and say her charisma and dogged work ethic make her an ideal choice to serve as its champion.
But her installation has raised concerns among some Republicans who say the RNC is being run in ways that could harm its mandate to help all its candidates up and down the ballot. By prioritizing the presidential campaign, they said, the RNC might not be able to dedicate the necessary resources to assist other office seekers.
“It kind of suggests an expectation of complete, unabashed and, perhaps, a blind loyalty to the candidate,” said Marc Racicot, a former RNC chair who served as Montana’s governor for eight years.
Acknowledging that she is confronting a “big, big learning curve,” Lara Trump told the AP she has the background to succeed, having worked on both of Trump’s previous presidential campaigns.
“You’d be hard pressed to find someone who has had as much political experience as I have in any campaign right now, and that’s kind of unique to be able to say,” she said.
She is also aware that, as a Trump, she makes a particularly tempting political target.
“Certainly,” she said, “I am in the crosshairs for a lot of people given this position.” |
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