NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (NewsNation) — While speaking at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, Lara Trump — the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump — campaigned to become the next co-chair of the Republican National Committee Thursday.
The former president has thrown his support behind his daughter-in-law, as well as North Carolina GOP chairman Michael Whatley, who is in line to become the RNC’s next chair and senior campaign adviser Chris LaCivita to become chief operating officer.
“We must adapt,” Lara Trump said. “And we must fight fire not with fire, but with dynamite.”
Whatley and Lara Trump are in line to replace current RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, who is expected to step down after the South Carolina primary.
Lara Trump received a warm welcome from the Trump-friendly crowd. Many cheered and applauded as she discussed her potential RNC leadership role.
“This is a position for which I never imagined I would run,” she said. “But I also never imagined that our country would be in such dire straits.”
Under her leadership, she added, Republicans will “build the strongest most secure election operation that his party has ever seen.”
In her speech, she urged Republicans to “embrace early voting” to be more competitive with Democrats in the November election, in contrast to Donald Trump’s criticisms. He told Fox News mail-in voting would result in “automatic fraud.”
“The days of waiting until Election Day to vote are over,” she told attendees Thursday.
Additionally, she signaled a change in how the RNC spends its money.
“I can promise you we will not be giving blank checks to career political consultants and vendors,” Lara Trump said. “Every penny of every dollar donated we’ll go towards one thing: winning.”
Trump’s primary opponent, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has been critical of Trump’s picks for RNC leadership, accusing Trump of using the party as “his piggy bank for his personal court cases.”
When asked whether he views Trump’s choices as problematic, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who has endorsed Trump and whose name is on CPAC’s vice presidential straw poll, pushed back, saying political parties are “always reflective” of their chosen presidential candidates.
“He’s going to be the nominee of our party; of course he should weigh in on that,” Donalds told NewsNation. “That doesn’t mean it’s remade in his image. That means that the RNC is focused on making sure he gets elected and on all the work that needs to happen down-ballot to support the president.”
Lara Trump has discussed election strategy several times on the campaign trail this week. At a gathering in North Charleston, S.C., Wednesday evening, she encouraged Republicans to “legally ballot harvest everywhere we possibly can in this country.”
Lara Trump has discussed election strategy several times on the campaign trail this week. At a gathering in North Charleston, S.C., she encouraged Republicans to “legally ballot harvest everywhere we possibly can in this country.”
