“Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) argued that the leader of the Republican National Committee should pledge not to pay former President Trump’s legal fees, as concerns rise over how the former president will fund his mounting bills,” The Hill reports.

Washington Post: “Trump — who personally liked McDaniel — did not immediately accept her offer. But the moment epitomized McDaniel’s long and tumultuous relationship with the former president, which began when she ran Trump’s successful 2016 effort in her home state of Michigan once he became the party’s nominee; solidified when he chose her as RNC chair in late 2016; and is now winding to a fraught conclusion as Trump seeks to retake the White House — this time with someone else at the party’s helm.”

Said RNC committeeman Bill Palatucci: “She’s been kissing his butt for years. But loyalty is a one-way street with Donald Trump.”

“People close to Trump described McDaniel’s departure as being driven by a confluence of factors that caught his attention, including the primary debates, a cash crunch, a stretch of negative news media attention, election defeats that he refused to take blame for and complaints from campaign allies and donors.”

The Republican party is in near total chaos. A few thoughts over at Politics Extra.

“Donald Trump is stamping out the final flashes of independence inside Republican institutions with astonishing speed, demonstrating that his power continues to expand over the new party establishment he has created,” the New York Times reports.

“The displays of obedience emerging in recent weeks remove any lingering doubt that the Republican Party is aligned to advance the interests of one man, signaling that a sweep of victories from Mr. Trump and his allies in November could also mean replacing checks and balances in Washington with his wishes and whims.”

“For many Republicans, those aren’t risks but the rewards of a second Trump administration. Only a rapidly dwindling minority inside the party remains worried about Mr. Trump’s intentions.”

Earlier for members: Why Trump Needs to Take Over the RNC So Quickly

“The Republican National Committee has decided to recognize former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra as the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party amid an ongoing battle for control of the state GOP,” the Detroit News reports.

“Hoekstra, whom former President Donald Trump had endorsed as the party’s chairman, and Kristina Karamo, whom GOP delegates elected to the position a year ago, have been locked in a fight for power for weeks.”

“Republicans who are asking why they keep losing elections are like the guy who walks into the ER with a nail in his head, asking why he has a headache.”

— Stuart Stevens, on X.

“If I am elected to this position, I can assure you… every single penny will go to the number one and the only job of the RNC… that is electing Donald J. Trump.”

— Lara Trump, on Newsmax, apparently forgetting all the down-ballot Republicans running in 2024.

Associated Press: “Whatley has been accused by some Republicans of essentially manufacturing his win as state party chairman last year following a chaotic vote, which resulted in a legal challenge that offered evidence some ballots were improperly cast. While Whatley and his allies acknowledged that technical problems made voting with the party’s mobile app difficult, they vehemently deny that the irregularities changed the outcome of the contest and note that the lawsuit was dismissed.”

“But for some conservatives, primed by years of Trump urging vigilance against voter fraud, the episode instilled a suspicion that the party contest was stolen by a Washington Beltway fixture whose work for the George W. Bush administration and as a lobbyist they viewed skeptically.”

“Donald Trump’s plan for a top aide to take over a GOP operation expected to spend $1 billion on the election will effectively merge Trump’s campaign with the Republican National Committee — and enhance his already tight grip on the party,” Axios reports.

“Trump’s move to have senior campaign adviser Chris LaCivita also serve as the RNC’s chief operating officer will make the two entities ‘a distinction without a difference.’”

David Graham: “When historians chronicle the end of the Grand Old Party, they may mark 2024 as the turning point. Something called the Republican Party will surely exist for years to come, like a legacy brand subsumed by a competitor, but it appears to be coming to its end as a functional party. Instead, the Republican Party has become just another subsidiary of Donald Trump Inc.”

“Yesterday, Trump announced his effective takeover of the Republican National Committee, endorsing Michael Whatley, the chair of the North Carolina GOP, as chair; his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as co-chair; and one of his top campaign advisers, Chris LaCivita, as chief operating officer. LaCivita will reportedly also remain with the Trump presidential campaign, splitting time. The current chair of the party, Ronna McDaniel, is stepping down because of pressure from Trump.”

“Donald Trump is privately discussing endorsing his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to be the co-chair of the Republican National Committee,” the New York Times reports.

“Mr. Trump has already told those close to him that his preferred choice to replace the current R.N.C. chair, Ronna McDaniel, is Michael Whatley, the committee’s general counsel. But he is now also discussing Ms. Trump, who is married to his son Eric, as his pick for co-chair… The party rules designate one male and one female co-chair.”

“Ms. Trump has worked closely with the committee for several years, and she is seen as a prolific fund-raiser. She also would be trusted by the Trump family, which has put an imprimatur on almost every aspect of the former president’s political life and which closely watches how resources are allocated.”

Thomas Zimmer: “The American Right is fully devoted to a fundamentally anti-pluralistic political project. They steadfastly refuse to accept the complex, complicated process of balancing interests, of reconciling different ideas, values, and aspirations that a pluralistic society necessarily depends on. They believe they shouldn’t have to, because they regard it as their prerogative, as the sole proponents of ‘real’ (read: white Christian patriarchal) America, to shape the nation in their image and to define the boundaries of what does and does not count as ‘American.'”

“If they don’t get to dominate America, then America as they conceive it is no more; they will rule – or might as well ruin.”

New York Times: “It was the biggest event of Mazi Pilip’s campaign in a must-win special House election in New York. The No. 3 House Republican had flown in. A half-dozen congressmen led a crowd in chants of ‘Mazi! Mazi!'”

“There was just one thing missing from the Republican show of force at a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall the other day: the candidate, who was home observing Shabbat.”

“In any other race, her absence would have been a deal breaker. But on Long Island, the event vividly illustrated an open secret animating Tuesday’s contest to replace former Representative George Santos. Ms. Pilip’s name may be on the ballot, but the campaign belongs to the Nassau County Republican machine.”

“After decades of electoral losses and corruption scandals, the organization has roared back to life in the New York City suburbs, reviving a political tradition that has largely become an anachronism elsewhere in the country.”