RNC fires dozens of employees after Trump-backed leadership takes over

The new leadership team at the Republican National Committee — handpicked by former president Donald Trump — started firing dozens of employees days after taking over, according to three people familiar with the firings who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly.

About 60 people were told they were no longer employed, according to a person with direct knowledge of the changes.

One of the people familiar with the firings said data, political and communications staffers were affected, and notifications were made on Monday by Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump adviser who was at the RNC’s Capitol Hill headquarters. LaCivita had complained about the staff of the RNC for several months, people who spoke to him said, and long planned to make changes. The Trump adviser had studied the organization’s payroll and employees for several weeks, the person said.

The news was first reported by Politico.

The RNC voted Friday to install the new leaders, which include Michael Whatley as chair and Lara Trump as co-chair. Lara Trump is the former president’s daughter-in-law. LaCivita, a top aide for Trump’s 2024 campaign, took over as the committee’s chief of staff.

In a speech Friday, Whatley said the RNC “will work hand in glove with President Trump’s campaign” as he faces an expected rematch against President Biden.

The RNC is at a crossroads in a critical election year. According to a January campaign finance filing, it had a historically low $8.7 million cash on hand compared with $24 million at the Democratic National Committee. More broadly, Trump and his allies are racing to close a fundraising gap with Biden and his affiliated groups.

“We have to raise a lot of money,” Lara Trump said Friday.

Whatley, the North Carolina GOP chair, replaced Ronna McDaniel as RNC chair, a post she held since 2017. Trump had also helped install her in the job, but Trump soured on her and she offered to leave earlier this year.

It was unclear exactly how much money the firings would save.