Days after Republicans suffered major losses in the midterms, President Trump on Friday endorsed Joe Gruters to continue to chair the Republican National Committee.
“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,” the president said on social media. “Joe is 100% America First, the Grassroots LOVES him, and I know he will do an incredible job in 2028.”
The endorsement signals that the president intends to maintain his influence over the party’s leadership structure as it attempts to recover from losses in states that have favored Republicans for decades.
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The RNC will elect its chair in January 2027.
Mr. Gruters, a Florida state senator, was elected to lead the group in 2025 with the president’s endorsement.
He presided over the loss of at least seven Senate seats to Democratic candidates, as well as at least 39 House seats already confirmed by The Associated Press.
The president noted that “As Sarasota County Chairman, Joe named me Statesman of the Year in both 2012 and 2015 — The only person to ever win it two times!”
RNC Co-Chair KC Crosbie is challenging Mr. Gruters for the role.
She told fellow RNC members in a letter that the party should “be willing to confront where we fell short.”
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