Former President Donald Trump is expressing gratitude for a push to make him the Republican nominee early.
However, he appears to want to fight it out for the rest of the primary season.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “While I greatly appreciate the Republican National Committee (RNC) wanting to make me their PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE, and while they have far more votes than necessary to do it, I feel, for the sake of PARTY UNITY, that they should NOT go forward with this plan, but that I should do it the ‘Old Fashioned’ way, and finish the process off AT THE BALLOT BOX.”
“Thank you to the RNC for the Respect and Devotion you have shown me! TRUMP2024” he added.
Trumpland hatches scheme to bypass voting. It leaks, blows up. Nikki says bring it on. Trump himself has to walk it back, looking weak, swampy and establishment.
— Doug Heye (@DougHeye) January 26, 2024
That is some strategery! Trump 2.0 does has a better team, but blindness in tribute to Caesar still exists. pic.twitter.com/rZV4YoDc1m
On Thursday, The Dispatch’s David Drucker reported the RNC is “reviewing a draft resolution that, if approved, would declare Donald Trump the party’s presumptive 2024 presidential nominee even as Nikki Haley continues to wage a vigorous campaign against the former president and frontrunner.”
“The draft resolution, obtained by The Dispatch Thursday morning, was proposed by David Bossie, an RNC committeeman from Maryland and close Trump ally,” Drucker continued.
The draft resolution states:
“RESOLVED that the Republican National Committee hereby declares President Trump as our presumptive 2024 nominee for the office of President of the United States and from this moment forward moves into full general election mode welcoming supporters of all candidates as valued members of Team Trump 2024.”
The Dispatch notes Trump has won 32 delegates after the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.
However, normally a candidate needs 1,215 to become the presumptive nominee.
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley brushed off the draft resolution, as her campaign spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas said, “Who cares what the RNC says.”
“We’ll let millions of Republican voters across the country decide who should be our party’s nominee, not a bunch of Washington insiders. If Ronna McDaniel wants to be helpful she can organize a debate in South Carolina, unless she’s also worried that Trump can’t handle being on the stage for 90 minutes with Nikki Haley,” the campaign added.
