Over 60 employees at the Republican National Committee were let go shortly after newly appointed leaders, personally chosen by former President Donald Trump, assumed control.
On Monday, the RNC sent out notices to numerous employees who were part of the communications, political, data, and election integrity divisions.
Three days after the unanimous election of Michael Whatley, former chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, and Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of the former president, as chair and co-chair of the party, the layoffs were announced.
Chris LaCivita and James Blair, both senior members of the Trump campaign, will continue to work with the Republican National Committee (RNC) while holding their current roles within the campaign.
According to a senior campaign official, the recent changes in leadership and staff reductions are aimed at streamlining the operations and eliminating redundancies between the campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC). The objective is to create a unified operation, with the most skilled individuals strategically placed in key positions.
Certain positions were cut as they were already present at the campaign level, while some staff members were requested to step down and reapply.
One of the 60 staffers let go by the new leadership, a former RNC adviser, expressed their criticism towards the changes at the RNC, describing it as “kind of a bulls*** operation.”
According to a former adviser, the team lacks doers and is filled with individuals who have a plethora of ideas but lack the ability to execute them. The former adviser predicts that the team will continue to push these individuals until they reach their breaking point, which tends to happen swiftly in the high-stakes environment of a presidential campaign.
According to the adviser, one possible motive behind the culling at the RNC could be cost-cutting, which is a priority for LaCivita.
“I believe his strategy is to allocate a significant portion of the budget towards television advertising and mail campaigns, rather than prioritizing investments in infrastructure,” expressed the ex-adviser. “This approach proved successful during his time on the Bush campaign in 2004, and he may be banking on its effectiveness once more.”
The Trump campaign and RNC are anticipated to enhance coordination once the president secures enough delegates to secure the GOP nomination, a milestone that may be reached as early as Tuesday. Currently, both organizations are lagging behind President Biden in terms of fundraising.
In February, the Biden campaign began with a significant advantage in terms of cash on hand. With a total of $130 million across its affiliated committees, including the DNC, the campaign surpassed the Trump campaign, the RNC, and the political action committees that supported him, who had only $65 million available.
The RNC’s resources, which were also facing a cash crunch, will play a crucial role in Trump’s campaign for reelection. As per the most recent filing with the Federal Election Commission, the RNC had only $8.7 million in cash available.
“We need to ensure that we are responsible with the money donated by our supporters,” stated Jason Miller, a senior adviser for the Trump campaign, during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, regarding the recent changes within the RNC. “If donors are worried about excessive bureaucracy and individuals within the organization losing focus, it is crucial that we address these concerns by streamlining our operations and redirecting our resources to those who are actively working in the field, rather than keeping them here in Washington.”
Trump is also dealing with the increasing burden of legal expenses and fines associated with his numerous criminal and civil court cases. Just recently, he took the step of posting a bond exceeding $91 million on Friday in order to appeal the $83 million judgment imposed on him in the defamation case filed by writer E. Jean Carroll.
In February, a judge issued a ruling that compelled Trump to pay a staggering $454 million in response to the civil fraud trial verdict. Moreover, with each passing day, the former president is accumulating over $100,000 in post-judgment interest.
During a Trump rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, LaCivita was asked about the RNC’s stance on paying Trump’s legal bills. In a straightforward response, he simply stated, “No.”
