Ronna McDaniel faces renewed threat as Turning Point event duels with RNC meeting

A conservative organization’s event will overlap this week with the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting in a seemingly purposeful clash as RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel’s leadership faces renewed scrutiny.

Turning Point Action is hosting the Restoring National Confidence summit on Monday and Tuesday, which happens to share the acronym “RNC” with the national party. The group’s event runs directly counter to the RNC winter meeting, which will begin Tuesday and go through Saturday.

But the similarities don’t stop there. The event is being held in the same city as well. Both conferences are taking place in Las Vegas.

TP Action founder and CEO Charlie Kirk billed the event as the “alternate RNC winter meeting.” TP Action’s summit is advertised as being “tailor-made for County GOP chairs” and offers them “a transformative experience set to activate Party Leaders.”

Tyler Bowyer, chief operating officer of the group, is also an Arizona committeeman for the RNC. Bowyer and Kirk were vocal opponents of McDaniel’s reelection in 2023.

When McDaniel faced the push for her ouster last year, she ultimately defeated her opponent, California National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon, by a vote of 111 committee members to 51.

I hope activists will follow along at home as we are joined by @DonaldJTrumpJr, Steve Bannon, @charliekirk11, @TPPatriots , @realMikeLindell, @America1stWorks, @ScottPresler, @JackPosobiec, @momsforamerica, @RunGenZ, @uscollegegop, @gagop, @WaukeshaGOP, and so many more. pic.twitter.com/lrN05kCZDf

— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) January 29, 2024 However, criticism of the chairwoman has persisted, especially following the 2023 off-year elections, which saw additional disappointing results akin to those of the 2022 midterm elections. Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy called McDaniel out last year during an RNC-sponsored Republican primary debate. “For that matter, Ronna, if you wanna come onstage tonight, you wanna look the GOP voters in the eye and tell ’em you resign, I will turn over my — yield my time to you,” he said during the third debate.

Afterward, he launched an online petition requesting McDaniel’s resignation at FireRonna.com.

The TP Action RNC summit, which began Monday, was attended by between 50 and 70 RNC committee members who will be going to the winter meeting as well.

The RNC and McDaniel have also been under fire from former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and her allies for efforts to unite behind former President Donald Trump after only two states have voted. Under pressure, a resolution to essentially declare Trump the nominee was pulled from consideration this week at the RNC winter meeting.

In a statement, RNC spokeswoman Emma Vaughn said, “Outside noise might be what keyboard warriors and the Democrats are focused on, but Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and the entire Republican National Committee are laser focused on beating Biden this fall.”

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She pointed to the committee’s already established efforts ahead of the 2024 elections, noting, “The RNC has already staffed up in 15 states, spent millions of dollars to engage in 76 election integrity lawsuits in 22 states, launched Bank Your Vote, our program to get Republicans to commit to voting early, in all 50 states, 6 territories and in 16 languages, and established a permanent Election Integrity department, all while continuing to hold Joe Biden’s feet to the fire.”

Party members who spoke to the Washington Examiner described a significant faction in the RNC that isn’t happy with the job the chairwoman is doing. According to one state party chairman, “Everyone has opinions about the chair. Would expect that whoever the nominee is, they will ask for a new chairperson.”

Candidate and Republican strategist ​John Kasich recently stated that McDaniel’s leadership has been “a ‍failure” and that she needs to step aside for someone new to take the reins.

The decision by Turning Point Action to host their event during ​the⁤ RNC winter meeting can ⁣be seen as a​ deliberate challenge to McDaniel’s ​leadership.​ It is a way for the organization to showcase an alternative platform and potentially gain‍ support from GOP ⁣members who may⁣ be dissatisfied with the current party leadership.

This clash also highlights the divisions within the Republican ​Party. While⁣ the RNC is the official governing body of the party, conservative organizations like Turning Point Action have ⁣been gaining influence ‌and ⁤promoting a more ideologically-driven agenda.

The Restoring National Confidence summit aims to energize⁤ Republican activists and provide them​ with a platform to discuss and promote conservative principles. The​ lineup of speakers includes prominent conservatives such as Donald Trump Jr., Steve Bannon, and Mike Lindell, to name a few. The event promises to be a rallying cry for Party leaders and an ‍opportunity to ‍strategize for⁣ future elections.

The timing of the summit is also significant. It comes on ⁢the⁤ heels of disappointing election results for Republicans in 2023, which have raised questions about ⁤the ⁣party’s direction and prospects for the future. By​ hosting‍ the ⁢event during the RNC winter‌ meeting, Turning Point Action‌ is positioning itself ⁣as ‍an alternative voice within the party and offering⁣ a different approach ⁣to political activism and grassroots mobilization.

This clash ⁤between Turning Point Action and the ‌RNC raises important questions about the future of the Republican Party. Will the ​party continue to be led ​by McDaniel and embrace ‌a more⁣ traditional, establishment-driven approach? Or will the⁤ influence of conservative organizations like Turning⁢ Point Action grow, ⁤pushing the party towards a ‌more ideologically-driven platform?

Only ​time will tell. But one thing is clear – the tensions and⁤ divisions within the Republican Party are far from ⁣resolved. As the party navigates ⁣its way⁣ forward, it will need to address these challenges and find​ a ​way​ to ⁤unite its members behind‌ a common vision and strategy. The clash between Turning ⁤Point Action and the RNC is just one manifestation of these broader divisions, but it​ serves as a reminder that the future of the party⁣ is still ⁣up for grabs.