Trump floats Sarasota Republican Joe Gruters as potential RNC chairman

Former President Donald Trump has privately floated Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters as a potential replacement for Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel should she decide to step down later this month, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Gruters, a former Sarasota County and Florida GOP chairman, previously ran for RNC treasurer with Trump’s support in 2023, but ultimately lost that race to Kentucky Republican National Committeewoman K.C. Crosbie. Still, Gruters has remained a loyal ally to Trump, who recently expressed support for change within the RNC and its leadership.

After meeting with McDaniel at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach on Monday, Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social that he would soon make “recommendations” for changes at the RNC. Asked in a separate interview with the conservative outlet Newsmax whether McDaniel should step aside, Trump suggested that it may be time.

“I think she knows that,” Trump said. “I think she understands that.”

In many ways, Gruters would be an obvious choice for the RNC’s top job. He was an early backer of Trump during his 2016 presidential bid and served as co-chair of his campaign in Florida. He endorsed Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination early last year, while most state Republican lawmakers threw their support behind Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Gruters is currently running for the Florida GOP’s state committeeman post. Trump has already endorsed him for that job.

Yet he isn’t the only person Trump has posited as a successor to McDaniel. He has also floated North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley as a potential replacement. Whatley, according to a report from The New York Times, is the former president’s top pick for the job.

Gruters did not immediately respond to the Miami Herald’s request for comment on Wednesday.

Multiple news outlets reported on Tuesday that McDaniel had told Trump that she would step down as chair after the South Carolina presidential primary on Feb. 24. While Trump supported McDaniel in her four successful bids for party chair, he and other Republicans have soured on her leadership in recent months after a series of poor election performances and signs of financial strain at the committee.

RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper said in a statement that “nothing has changed” at the RNC and that whether McDaniel steps down “will be decided after South Carolina.”

Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, waved off questions about McDaniel’s expected departure and potential replacements as mere “speculation.”

“Any speculation beyond the President’s post on Truth is just that — speculation,” Miller said.