McDaniel Refuses to Face RNC Chair Challengers Lindell, Dhillon in Debate

No debate! That’s apparently the sentiment of Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel. She has reportedly declined to participate in a public debate against RNC chair challengers Mike Lindell and Harmeet Dhillon. This is one more illustration of the fact that some Republican leadership doesn’t care what the base thinks, as a majority of Republican voters want to see McDaniel replaced.

Politico reported that McDaniel’s excuse was an exclusive RNC members-only forum that overlaps with the debate. “The RNC is already hosting a candidate forum and Ronna has committed to participating in that,” McDaniel’s reelection campaign spokeswoman Emma Vaughn said. “As head of the RNC, Chairwoman McDaniel will be overseeing party business during the remaining portion of the RNC meeting.”

The debate will take place on January 25 at the Dana Point, Calif., resort where the election for RNC chair will later happen, hosted by conservative media organizations John Fredericks Media Network and Real America’s Voice. MyPillow CEO Lindell and California RNC committeewoman Dhillon will both be at the debate, Politico said. Virginia GOP Chair Rich Anderson is scheduled as moderator.

The last election for RNC chair featured a publicly aired debate, Politico said. But McDaniel seems unwilling to face a debate again as Republican voters demand answers for the failed “red wave” in 2022 and call for changes in leadership. Instead, the “RNC announced earlier this week it will hold two closed-door forums for candidates seeking committee leadership posts, open only to committee members and their proxies attending the organization’s winter meeting,” according to Politico.

While Republican voters are unhappy with McDaniel, the majority of 168 voting RNC members reportedly support the incumbent, Politico noted.

Mike Lindell previously explained to me that he’s running for RNC chair to ensure more election integrity and to stop the Republican Party from being a “disaster” run by incompetents. “It takes 40 cents to go out and get a dollar from a donor, and the RNC is not fixing the platform. They’re making decisions based on a footprint that doesn’t exist anymore, that being a fair election,” Lindell said.

Meanwhile, Harmeet Dhillon has called multiple times for a debate, insisting that it’s necessary to appeal to grassroots voters and not just the RNC voting members, Politico said.

John Fredericks, whose media network is cohosting the debate, slammed McDaniel’s squeamishness about debating. “This election has to involve the very workers, the party apparatus, the grassroots, the populist movement that put the 168 [voting members] in there,” Fredericks stated. “The elitism that is going on here for a party of the people is shameful.”