GOP 'Headed Down the Path Towards Extinction'—Political Analyst

With the fall of Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna McDaniel, and the potential appointment of Lara Trump in her place, the Republican Party faces "extinction," a political analyst said.

McDaniel on Monday announced she will resign, following weeks of criticism and speculation that her tenure was coming to an end. The niece of Republican Senator Mitt Romney, who was chosen by former President Donald Trump to lead the RNC in 2017, had been blamed for funding issues. She was also criticized for the Republicans losing multiple elections since 2020.

Trump this month signaled his dissatisfaction with McDaniel and endorsed Michael Whatley, the North Carolina Republican Party chair who serves as general counsel of the RNC, as the committee's next chairman, and his daughter-in-law, Lara, as co-chair.

William F. Hall, adjunct professor of political science and business at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, told Newsweek the potential appointment of Trump's daughter-in-law was inconceivable and warned it would send the party into free fall.

"Regretfully and also very sadly, it now genuinely appears that the former American political party, formerly known and referred to as the 'Grand Old Party' (GOP), may well now be headed the down the path toward extinction, similar to the former American political party known as the: 'Don't Tread on Me' political party," Hall said.

"The very notion that this former great, historic American political party, the political party of the Abolitionist Movement that championed against slavery and the party of Abraham Lincoln, would even contemplate the possibility of installment of a relative of one of the leading candidates for both the Party's Presidential nomination and potentially, the Office of the President, is in my view, is not only inconceivable....as well as truly indicative of a former once great major American political party, now in total free fall and in total and complete disarray."

Newsweek reached out the RNC by email to comment on this story.

McDaniel's resignation is expected to take effect March 8, three days after Super Tuesday.

"It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve the Republican National Committee for seven years as Chairwoman to elect Republicans and grow our Party," McDaniel said in a statement.

Losing McDaniel could cause further problems for the RNC, according to Christopher Phelps, a professor of modern American history at the University of Nottingham in the U.K, because she had experience and networking skills.

"The RNC's fundraising is at a very low ebb, and Donald Trump has cast blame on the outgoing RNC chair, Ronna McDaniel, so out she goes," Phelps previously told Newsweek. "But McDaniel was well-experienced, having served since 2017, and accordingly very well-networked among Republican big-money sources.

"It will put to the test whether the problem was McDaniel or, actually, what she was selling. Is the Republican donor class actually willing to pay Trump's lawyers and court fees, or is that the very problem? Would they prefer to be funding an RNC that is actually focused on winning campaigns? If Trump himself is the problem, naming a Trump to the task is not likely to turn things around."