Lara Trump is on her way to joining the new family business.
After years on the fundraising circuit and on the campaign trail as a surrogate, former President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law is up for one of the top jobs in the party amid an expected shakeup to come after South Carolina votes on Feb. 23.
"My very talented daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, has agreed to run as the RNC Co-Chair,” Trump announced in a press release from his campaign Monday night. “Lara is an extremely talented communicator and is dedicated to all that MAGA stands for. She has told me she wants to accept this challenge and would be GREAT!"
Married to Trump’s son, Eric, Lara Trump has gained an increasingly visible role over the course of the former president’s three campaigns. She had a prime speaking spot on the penultimate night of the 2020 Republican National Convention.
She will need a confirmation vote from a majority of the RNC’s 168 members, though it is considered a common courtesy in an election year to back a presumptive nominee’s picks for party leadership.
Trump also endorsed North Carolina GOP Chairman Michael Whatley to be the next leader of the party, replacing outgoing RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who has reportedly told Trump she will step down after the South Carolina primary. Chris LaCivita, one of Trump’s top campaign advisers, received the nod for the other co-chair position under Whatley (party rules mean there must be one male and one female co-chair.) However, LaCivita will serve “in effect” as the chief operating officer of the party, overseeing day-to-day operations.
The RNC is coming off of its worst fundraising year in a decade. The party ended 2023 with only $8 million in cash on hand, well below the Trump campaign’s $33 million. By this point in 2020, the RNC had $72 million in the bank.
Although the RNC initially covered some legal bills for Trump, current party rules have prevented them from paying for any of his legal services ever since he officially entered the presidential race right after the 2022 midterms.
