President Trump threw his support behind Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters on Friday, urging the party to keep him at the helm despite the GOP's sweeping losses in Tuesday's midterm elections. In a Truth Social post, Trump called Gruters "100 percent America First" and argued that the chairman had transformed the RNC into an "efficient, focused, and powerful machine" that would advance the America First agenda for years.
"Joe Gruters should return as Chairman of the RNC to continue to build our Party, and be a trusted partner as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and ensure Free and Fair Elections. Republicans everywhere should support him as he continues his mission at the RNC," Trump wrote. He added that grassroots Republicans "love him."
Trump's endorsement arrives as the party grapples with a bruising election night that handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress. Democrats now hold a 54-44 majority in the Senate and a 253-158 lead in the House, according to The Hill's partner DDHQ. The losses have triggered internal finger-pointing, with some Republicans blaming Trump's campaign missteps and others pointing to broader voter dissatisfaction.
RNC co-Chair KC Crosbie, a Trump ally in her own right, announced her challenge to Gruters just days after the election. In a letter to committee members, Crosbie said Tuesday's results were "a serious setback" and called for an honest assessment of why the party lost ground in traditionally reliable states. "Voters were focused on the cost of living, and the direction of the country. Our improvements in field operations, voter contact, and election integrity infrastructure were valuable, but they did not address those concerns or deliver the results we needed," she wrote.
The intraparty clash comes as Democrats celebrate victories in key battlegrounds and flip several red states, including gains in state legislatures. The midterm results have been widely interpreted as a rebuke of Trump's leadership, with some analysts pointing to his campaign missteps as a key factor. Others, like New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, have blamed Trump's handling of Iran and his failure to address the "swamp" for fueling the GOP's rout.
Gruters, who has served as RNC chair since 2019, has emphasized grassroots organizing and election integrity efforts. But critics within the party argue that those priorities did little to counter the Democratic wave. The RNC's leadership vote is scheduled for January, and Crosbie's challenge sets up a high-stakes contest that will test Trump's influence over the party's machinery.
Trump's endorsement is likely to carry significant weight with RNC members, many of whom owe their positions to his political movement. However, the debate over the party's direction is far from settled. As Democrats prepare to use their congressional majorities to check Trump's agenda, Republicans face a critical choice about who should lead them into the next election cycle.
The RNC chair race is shaping up to be a proxy battle for the GOP's future, with Gruters representing continuity and Crosbie calling for a strategic shift. Whether Trump's backing will be enough to fend off Crosbie remains to be seen, but the outcome will signal how the party intends to respond to its most significant electoral defeat in years.
