"...When historians chronicle the end of the Grand Old Party, they may mark 2024 as the turning point. Something called the Republican Party will surely exist for years to come, like a legacy brand subsumed by a competitor, but it appears to be coming to its end as a functional party. Instead, the Republican Party has become just another subsidiary of Donald Trump Inc.
Yesterday, Trump announced his effective takeover of the Republican National Committee, endorsing Michael Whatley, the chair of the North Carolina GOP, as chair; his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as co-chair; and one of his top campaign advisers, Chris LaCivita, as chief operating officer. LaCivita will reportedly also remain with the Trump presidential campaign, splitting time. The current chair of the party, Ronna McDaniel, is stepping down because of pressure from Trump.
Officially, these are only recommendations, but they seem nearly certain to become reality. Trump has long held de facto sway over the Republican National Committee, but these moves give him de jure control, too. The reorganization is especially striking because it comes in the midst of what is a moderately competitive presidential primary between Trump and Nikki Haley. Although no one really thinks Haley has much chance at beating Trump, he’s now asserting control over the body that oversees that primary, like a basketball coach appointing one of his assistant coaches as referee.
Trump’s approach is familiar from the way he ran his family business, the Trump Organization, and his White House. He stocks them with ultra-loyalists who will take hits for him and with family members who are questionably qualified. The effect is to efface any organizational identity or institutional structures, to ensure that the only thing that matters, and the only person who decides, is Trump..."
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