Former President Donald Trump was only endorsed by four of the Republican National Committee’s 168 members, according to a survey.
The New York Times survey found that 20 opposed the former president, 35 remain open and the remaining members did not respond.
Trump suffers @GOP endorsement slump with only four of 168 backing him: Report https://t.co/hPSye6SuSd
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 27, 2023
Questions remain
“Did I vote for Trump in 2016? You bet. Did I vote for him in 2020? You bet,” Hank McCann, who joined the committee in 2020, told the news outlet.
“Now, I don’t know. I think we’ve got probably 10 candidates that can win,” he added.
As Donald Trump prepares for his first public events since announcing his 2024 presidential run, dozens of members of the Republican Party’s governing body are expressing doubts about his ability to win and are hoping for a stronger nominee to emerge. https://t.co/imwuGNuphP
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 26, 2023
Leadership challenges
The poll comes as RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel faces a challenge to her leadership role.
“The RNC is in need of a new coach, and Harmeet Dhillon is the right candidate for the job,” Matt Rinaldi, Chairman of the Texas Republican Party, wrote in an op-ed.
I will be casting my RNC Chair vote tomorrow for Harmeet Dhillon. https://t.co/kizDvI4yE1
— Matt Rinaldi (@MattRinaldiTX) January 26, 2023
He is advocating for Harmeet Dhillon, a top challenger to McDaniel for the role.
“Harmeet is beyond impressive. She’s a renowned expert in constitutional and election law, a fearless fighter for conservative values, and a skillful attorney with a winning record,” he added.
Beyond the RNC, Trump also faces challenges mobilizing conservative voters in his comeback bid for the White House. In addition to regaining momentum, he’ll need to fight off a new set of primary challengers who may include some of his former allies.
Though no other major candidates have made an announcement to run in 2024, Trump could face former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis among his top challengers.
The 2024 election campaign remains in its early stage, but Trump has so far not shown the dominance of his 2016 campaign or the early strong favorability he held among Republicans in his 2020 reelection campaign. But never count Trump out, as his unlikely rise to political leadership could potentially strike again against a highly-disliked Biden administration in the next presidential election.