RNC Chairwoman McDaniel: GOP will stay neutral even if Trump runs in 2024

The Republican National Committee will not endorse a candidate in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries, even if former President Trump runs again.

RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in an interview with the Associated Press published Thursday that the party has to shy away from promoting candidates in the next presidential primary, regardless of who does or does not run.

"The party has to stay neutral. I’m not telling anybody to run or not to run in 2024," said McDaniel, who recently was elected to a third term as the RNC leader. "That’s going to be up to those candidates going forward. What I really do want to see him do, though, is help us win back majorities in 2022."

She also said the Republican base is at the head of the party, not Trump. However, she did acknowledge that he is still a huge presence among his supporters.

National Democratic and Republican groups typically do not back a candidate in primaries without an incumbent.

Republicans this past election cycle lost the presidency and Senate majority but were able to pick up seats in the House and hope to gain the majority in both chambers in the 2022 midterm elections. 

McDaniel, who has been a solid Trump supporter, also said that she did not accept the notion that the former president is looking to start his own party, despite reports saying so. 

“It would be basically a rubber stamp on Democrats getting elected," she said. "And I think that’s the last thing that any Republican wants. It’s clear that he understands that."

Jason Miller, a former Trump campaign adviser, said Trump "has made clear his goal is to win back the House and Senate for Republicans in 2022. There's nothing that's actively being planned regarding an effort outside of that."

However, Miller did warn that Trump might retaliate if Senate Republicans vote to convict him during his impeachment trial that set for next month.