The newly chosen leader of the Republican National Committee (RNC), Michael Whatley, unintentionally stated that the United States is in a better state now compared to the time under former President Trump, while speaking on Fox News on Friday.
Whatley tried to make the case that the country is in a worse condition under President Biden's leadership than it was four years ago under Trump, and that things would improve if the former president were to be reelected. However, he misspoke during the broadcast.
“Ultimately, this boils down to a simple comparison between President Trump and President Biden,” Whatley explained. “Were you better off four years ago than you are today? The answer for this entire country is no… I mean, yes.”
He stumbled, stating, “We are better off today, or, we will be better off under President Trump than we will under President Biden.”
Whatley assumed the leadership role last week. Since then, he has caused a significant reset for the party.
More than 60 individuals have been terminated recently, including senior staff. Trump secured the party’s nomination for the general election, and the dismissals indicate that the party is undergoing change in preparation to challenge President Biden in the upcoming election.
Whatley defended the dismissals as the party “adjusting the committee to ensure that we are focused on emerging from the primary.”
“We now have a presumptive nominee and it is absolutely vital for us to ensure that our programs and our campaign efforts are in line with the president’s,” he mentioned.
A major question going forward is whether the RNC will support Trump’s escalating legal expenses; the former president has been instructed to pay over $500 million in fines. He is facing 91 felony charges across four indictments.
Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law, was elected co-chair of the RNC alongside Whatley. In the past, she expressed her intention to utilize “every single penny” of the RNC’s funds to aid her father-in-law in winning reelection.
