Donald Trump Jr. Declares MAGA Movement Defines 'The New Republican Party'

In a recent appearance on Newsmax’s The Balance, Donald Trump Jr. reflected on the evolution of the Republican Party, asserting that the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement has supplanted the traditional GOP establishment. He applauded the recent changes in leadership within the Republican National Committee (RNC), a move supported by his father, former President Donald Trump, as indicative of this shift towards MAGA principles.

Trump Jr. said, “I think the RNC is gonna be a little bit more of that old-school establishment. That Republican Party frankly no longer exists outside of the D.C. Beltway. But it takes a little while to make that transition,” as per New York Post. 

The RNC voted on Friday to name former North Carolina GOP chairman Michael Whatley as the party's new leader, replacing Ronna McDaniel. Chris LaCivita, a senior campaign adviser, was named chief operational officer, while daughter-in-law Lara Trump was named co-chair. In addition to his father, Trump Jr. emphasized that the RNC should "focus on all the candidates."

“It’s not just about the presidency. We have a lot of members of Congress that have to win. I think the biggest thing is we got to get faith back in that institution. People have to trust it. Hopefully, that’s what this does," Trump Jr. stated. The RNC's fundraising figures have been terrible. According to the Federal Election Commission, the organization raised $87.2 million in revenue last year and ended 2023 with around $8 million in cash on hand. That represents the RNC's lowest fundraising haul since 1993 when adjusted for inflation.

The FEC reports that the Democratic National Committee, on the other hand, brought in $119 million and ended the year with approximately $21 million in cash. Following his election victory in 2016, former President Trump had previously supported former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel for the position. She oversaw the GOP's campaigning in Michigan, which supported Trump in that election.

Additionally, Trump Jr. referred to the departure of Republicans who oppose Trump from both chambers of Congress, citing Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who is not running for reelection this year. "People have to understand that America First, the MAGA movement is the new Republican Party. That is conservatism today," Trump continued. "You know, there may be the Mitt Romneys and the Liz Cheneys out there. But that is a rare and dying breed."

Following Trump's resounding victory on Super Tuesday last week, former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley withdrew her presidential campaign. Haley's withdrawal from the campaign has moved the focus of the 2024 election cycle to Trump and President Joe Biden's anticipated rematch. Although Trump has not yet endorsed a candidate for the currently vacant Senate seat in Utah, he did support Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), the woman who ultimately defeated Cheney. Since then, the congressman from Wyoming has paid it forward by endorsing Trump for president, as per The Gazette.