Trump stopped short of endorsing any candidate for RNC chair: 'Let them fight it out'

US President Donald Trump speaks after his introduction by RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel at a fundraising breakfast in a restaurant in New York, New York on December 2, 2017.

Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

• Trump stopped short of endorsing Ronna McDaniel in an interview on Monday.
• Trump was asked about McDaniel and her challenger for RNC chair, Harmeet Dhillon.
• Trump said he likes both women but made no mention of Mike Lindell, who is also running for RNC chair.

Former President Donald Trump says he won't endorse anyone in the race for RNC chair — be it the incumbent, Ronna McDaniel, or her challenger, attorney Harmeet Dhillon.

Phoning in on Monday on "The Water Cooler," a conservative podcast, Trump was asked by host David Brody who his pick would be.

"Well, I can honestly say I like both of them. I mean, I get along with both of them. I haven't taken a stance, you know. Let them fight it out," Trump said. 

He added that Dhillon, a lawyer who represents him, has "done a great job" with her legal work for him.  

—Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) January 16, 2023

 

Trump made no mention of his ally, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who is also running for the position of RNC chair. Lindell previously told Insider that he has "locked in" the commitments he needs to make sure McDaniel does not have an outright win.

"I have plenty of states now. I believe she's well under 85 — with my math, I'd say somewhere around 70 to 75," Lindell told Insider on January 9. Lindell did not specify if he has enough votes to clinch the job, saying he has yet to call two-thirds of the RNC's 168 voting members.

The leadership of the RNC will be decided in a ballot during the committee's winter meeting this month.

In November, the majority of the RNC's voting members — 101 in total — signed a letter endorsing McDaniel re-election, The Hill reported.

Her strongest challenger appears to be Dhillon, rather than Lindell. In December, an unnamed RNC member described the race to CNN as devolving into "a bare-knuckle fight" between the two women.

Lindell, Dhillon, and representatives for Trump and McDaniel did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. 

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