WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel to stay on in her position, which would allow him to remain a powerful voice in the party after an election he lost but is contesting.
“I am pleased to announce that I have given my full support and endorsement to Ronna McDaniel to continue heading the Republican National Committee (RNC). With 72 MILLION votes, we received more votes than any sitting President in U.S. history – and we will win!” Trump said in a tweet.
Trump backed McDaniel for RNC chair in 2017 after she helped deliver her home state of Michigan in the 2016 presidential election in which he defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.
U.S. news media have called the 2020 race for Democrat Joe Biden, but Trump is contesting the results in a series of legal challenges in a handful of battleground states.
Members of the RNC are due to meet late in January to vote on whether to keep McDaniel as chair. The vote will be a test of how powerful Trump remains in the party after he leaves office in January, should the legal challenges fail.
(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Tom Hogue and Sonya Hepinstall)
