GOP chairwoman: Trump 'still leads the party'

Former President Donald Trump "still leads" the GOP, says the head of the Republican National Committee (RNC) despite the committee vowing to remain neutral if Trump runs again in 2024.

In an interview on WABC 770 AM in New York, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel touted the former Republican president's fundraising abilities after he recently reported over $100 million available on hand entering the second half of 2021.

“You know, I always say go back to the voter, and I think when you see the amount of people that show up to the rallies for President Trump and this $102 million fundraising haul, I think the voters in America — Republicans in America — would absolutely say the president's the most popular Republican and still leads the party,” McDaniel told host John Catsimatidis on "The Cats Roundtable."

Trump was defeated in the 2020 election, then lost dozens of court cases trying to delegitimise the results.

Although he has not yet said whether he will run for president again in 2024, he has raised tens of millions of dollars.

A recent report showed he remains the party’s biggest fundraiser, raising more than $50 million this year.

He helped raise about $56 million from online donors during the first six months of 2021, according to a campaign finance disclosure.

That amount of money is more than what was raised by any of the official fundraising wings of the GOP, and more than any other GOP figure.

As Republicans turn their attention to 2022's midterms elections, GOP leaders have signaled a desire for Trump to help drum up support for House and Senate candidates.

Earlier this year, McDaniel said the RNC would "stay neutral" in the next Republican presidential competition if Trump were to run again but expressed a desire for him to campaign for congressional Republicans.

ME