As former President Donald Trump reshapes the Republican National Committee into the party apparatus he wants, more changes are coming, according to the new chair of the organization.
RNC Chair Michael Whatley sent a three-page memo to staff Thursday night emphasizing the organization’s new and continued focus; voter turnout, creating a united front with the Trump campaign and election integrity.
“Every tool that the other side has used, we need to wield for ourselves,” Whatley said in the memo, obtained in full by NPR. “…We will strive relentlessly towards historic accomplishments, and fully modernizing the organization between now and Election Day.”
Earlier this week, Trump secured enough delegates to formally claim the Republican nomination. This is the third presidential cycle in a row where Trump will be the GOP nominee. Because Biden secured his own nomination as well, a Trump-Biden rematch will be the presidential race the American people face in November.
As the formal nominee, Trump is already remaking the RNC in his image, hand-selecting Whatley to lead and integrating additional campaign staff within the organization.
In the memo, James Blair, a senior Trump campaign adviser is announced as the political director of both the RNC and the campaign and lawyer Charlie Spies will be taking over as the RNC’s Chief Counsel. Whatley explained in the memo that goal is to “cater to individual states, realizing that each state is different, and that we must evolve to more neighbor to neighbor, precinct-level organizing.”
In the vein of political operations, Whatley told staff there will be a focus on organizing communities that are not traditionally Republican. The RNC is looking to launch a “‘Grow the Vote’ program geared towards reaching nontraditional Republican voters and low propensity voters,” according to the memo.
