A member of the Republican National Committee, Henry Barbour, is advocating for a neutral stance within the organization amidst Donald Trump’s efforts to assert control. Barbour is circulating two draft resolutions for consideration at the RNC’s upcoming March meeting in Houston. While he notes growing support among RNC members, he is still in search of necessary cosponsors, emphasizing that any resolutions would be nonbinding.
This initiative follows Trump’s public call to replace current RNC leaders and appoint his senior campaign advisor, Chris LaCivita, and daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to key positions. Lara Trump had earlier suggested that GOP voters might back the committee covering Trump’s legal expenses, given the various criminal and civil charges he faces. However, LaCivita clarified that the RNC would not bear the cost of Trump’s legal bills.
In response, Barbour’s first proposed resolution aims to maintain RNC neutrality throughout the presidential primary, refraining from hiring additional staff from active campaigns until a candidate secures the necessary delegates for nomination. The second resolution focuses on allocating RNC funds exclusively to activities directly linked to the 2024 election, explicitly excluding the payment of legal bills for any federal or state office candidate.
Barbour emphasized the RNC’s core responsibility to win elections, asserting that financial resources should be dedicated to political expenses rather than legal matters. Previously, the RNC was reported to have covered some of Trump’s legal bills for New York cases initiated during his presidency. However, RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel declared in November 2022 that the committee would cease such payments once Trump officially re-entered the 2024 presidential race.
