Priebus, on thin ice in the West Wing, keeps close eye on RNC
The chief of staff is staying deeply involved in RNC matters, despite having his hands full in Trump's White House. By Matthew Nussbaum and Josh Dawsey
| 06/22/2017 05:11 AM EDT
| Updated 06/22/2017 09:23 AM EDT President Donald Trump’s embattled chief of staff, Reince Priebus, has been keeping an unusually tight grip on the Republican National Committee even while internal turmoil and a stalled legislative agenda have left his full-time job in peril.
Priebus, who led the RNC from 2011 until he assumed the White House job earlier this year, has so far given little autonomy to his successor, Ronna Romney McDaniel, with one senior Republican operative close to the White House saying Priebus’ control over the RNC is “total and complete.”
Priebus wants to be continually updated on fundraising numbers, potential candidates for office and polling numbers, according to one strategist with knowledge of the RNC. He repeatedly asked RNC officials about their strategy and plan for the Georgia special election and often gave input. Republicans won a narrow victory in the deep red district.
While it’s not out of the ordinary for a White House chief of staff to keep close tabs on the party apparatus, especially when there are acute concerns about mid-term elections and as Trump increasingly needs an outside messaging operation to confront growing scandals, Priebus appears to be heavier handed than his predecessors.
The intense involvement is “surprising,” according to Chris Whipple, the author of "The Gatekeepers," a new history of chiefs of staff. "It surprises me because I never saw in my research active chiefs being heavily involved in the RNC,” he said.
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http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/22/reince-priebus-rnc-chief-staff-239831
