RNC reportedly pulls resolution for Trump as “presumptive” nominee

The Republican National Committee reportedly withdrew a drafted resolution to declare former President Donald Trump as the party’s presumptive nominee in the 2024 election. The Thursday withdrawal followed a social media post by Trump, saying that “for the sake of PARTY UNITY” the RNC should not affirm the resolution. Trump said he wanted to win the nomination “the ‘Old Fashioned’ way…AT THE BALLOT BOX.” The Haley campaign seemingly shrugged off the now-axed resolution, with spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas quipping, “Who cares what the RNC says? We’ll let millions of Republican voters across the country decide who should be our party’s nominee.”

Can the RNC even declare a presumptive nominee when only two states have voted? No party rules stop the RNC from declaring a presumptive candidate despite only two states having had the chance to vote. Trump has won over 50 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, winning 32 delegates. Haley currently has 17 delegates. The first candidate to reach 1,215 delegates wins the nomination.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson and Carolina Lumetta’s report in World Magazine on why evangelical voters continue backing Trump.