Haley campaign lashes out at RNC, Ronna McDaniel over resolution to declare Trump presumptive GOP nominee
The resolution was withdrawn after Trump urged its supporters not to move forward with their plan
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley's campaign lashed out at the Republican National Committee and its chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, on Thursday over a draft resolution being considered by the party to declare former President Donald Trump the presumptive GOP nominee.
The resolution was proposed Thursday morning by longtime RNC committee member David Bossie of Maryland, a former 2016 Trump campaign official, despite Haley's vow to continue her campaign into her home state of South Carolina for its primary next month.
"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," Haley campaign spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas told Fox News Digital.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}VENTURE CAPITALIST, CONSERVATIVE FIREBRAND RAISES EYE-POPPING AMOUNT IN BID FOR ARIZONA HOUSE SEAT
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, left, and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. (Getty Images)
"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," she added.
In a statement, RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper said, "Resolutions, such as this one, are brought forward by members of the RNC. Chairwoman McDaniel doesn’t offer resolutions. This will be taken up by the Resolutions Committee, and they will decide whether to send this resolution to be voted on by the 168 RNC members at our annual meeting next week."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The resolution was later withdrawn after Trump expressed gratitude to those supporting it in a post on Truth Social, but said he felt the nomination should be won through the voters.
"While I greatly appreciate the Republican National Committee (RNC) wanting to make me their PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE, and while they have far more votes than necessary to do it, I feel, for the sake of PARTY UNITY, that they should NOT go forward with this plan, but that I should do it the 'Old Fashioned' way, and finish the process off AT THE BALLOT BOX," he wrote.
"Thank you to the RNC for the Respect and Devotion you have shown me! TRUMP2024," he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TRUMP, BIDEN AGREE ON ONE THING ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY
The resolution could have been voted on as early as next week when the RNC will convene for its winter meeting in Las Vegas with all 168 committee members, but not everyone was ready to go along with declaring Trump the nominee, including RNC committee member Bill Palatucci from New Jersey.
"A silly resolution to say he is the presumptive nominee, insulting to millions of primary voters who wait for the opportunity to get involved in presidential politics every four years," the Trump critic close to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told Fox News Digital.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Another example of Trump’s authoritarian streak. ‘We don’t need Super Tuesday or any other primaries, I’ll just have it handed to me,’" he added.
Haley is the sole remaining challenger to Trump in the race, and is facing what's expected to be daunting odds after the latter won two convincing victories in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Early polls have also suggested she could lose by a wide margin to Trump in the Feb. 24 South Carolina primary, although no new polling has been released since Iowa and New Hampshire.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former President Donald Trump points to supporters at the conclusion of a campaign rally at the Atkinson Country Club in Atkinson, New Hampshire, on Jan. 16. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Following her loss in New Hampshire, McDaniel urged that the party should coalesce around Trump as the nominee.
"Looking at the math and the path going forward, I don't see it for Nikki Haley," McDaniel told Fox News. "I think she's run a great campaign, but I do think there is a message that's 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."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It is 10 months away until the November election, and we can't wait any longer to put out foot on the gas to beat the worst president, to beat a president that's kept our borders open, allowed fentanyl to pour through, allowed inflation to go rampant. He is hurting the American people, and we need to do everything we can to unite so that we can defeat him," she added.