RNC chair on GOP's future: "Ensure Trump supporters remain Republican voters"

RNC chair Mike Whatley states that his job in the 2025 elections and 2026 midterms is straightforward.

It's crucial for us to ensure that Trump voters become Republican voters, said Whatley in an exclusive national digital interview with Planet Chronicle at the RNCs' winter meeting in the nation's capital.

In November's elections, Republicans secured major victories, including President-elect Trump's defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris to regain the White House, the GOP's capture of Senate control from the Democrats, and their maintenance of a slim House majority.

On Thursday, Whatley, who was interviewed for the RNC chair position, stated that the GOP must secure those gains made in the 2024 elections.

We will return to the fundamental strategies used during this election cycle, which involve mobilizing voters and safeguarding ballots, as Whatley highlighted.

The RNC chair highlighted the "lessons learned" during the 2024 cycle, including targeting low propensity voters and reaching out to new communities, which led to "historic gains" among various voter groups, including African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, young voters, and women.

Before the president-elect's inauguration, Whatley stated that once Trump is in the White House, they will resume their work and focus on the upcoming governor's races in 2025.

Butley stated that the party's focus during the upcoming party will be on "26" because it will determine whether they have two or four years to work on their agenda. He emphasized that America needs a four-year plan.

"We're going to be communicating with the folks that we need to turn out."

He stated that the 2024 presidential election will be based on the same principles.

The 2026 midterm elections will be very intense, according to him, who pointed out that it's not just seven battleground states.

While Republicans would disagree, Whatley described today's Democratic Party as "a common sense party…this is a party that's going to fight for every American family and for every American community."

Whatley highlighted the fact that two former Democratic presidential candidates, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, have been nominated by Trump to serve in his second administration's cabinet. This, he said, demonstrates that the president's agenda is practical and his team is composed of sensible individuals who will work together to move forward.

In March 2024, Trump appointed Whatley to replace McDaniel as RNC chair after he won the GOP presidential nomination. Whatley, a loyal Trump ally and supporter of his election integrity initiatives, had previously served as RNC general counsel and chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party.

In 2026, Trump asked Whatley to continue as RNC chair.

"Whatley stated that he believes they will be able to communicate when necessary, despite the president-elect's return to the White House. He added, "Our support for the president and his agenda remains unchanged. However, his ability to implement his campaign promises from the White House has been limited.""

In 2028, Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance is likely to be the front-runner for the GOP nomination, as President Trump is term-limited and won't be able to seek re-election.

In December, Whatley stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that the RNC would remain impartial in the upcoming GOP nomination race and that the party boasts a strong lineup of potential candidates.

The speaker praised the Republican Party's talent pool, including governors, senators, and members of Congress, who will serve in the upcoming administration. He expressed excitement about the party's prospects for the 2028 presidential election.

In contrast to the DNC, which disrupted the traditional presidential nominating schedule in the 2024 cycle, the RNC maintained the status quo with their primary calendar and preserved the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary as their initial contests.

Whatley informed Planet Chronicle that he has not engaged in any discussions with anyone seeking to alter the 2028 calendar, and therefore, they will wait and observe any developments that may arise. During the RNC meetings this week, they are having several talks with individuals, but this is not a significant issue.

"Whatley contended that the Democrats were not helped by changing the calendar and that it is crucial for them to ensure they are following their system as usual."