Whereas Donald Trump as the 2016 Republican presidential nominee battled the GOP establishment over changing the party's direction and in 2020 faced substantive internal resistance during his reelection bid, he now appears as the 2024 nominee to have won control of a party apparatus willing to embrace his policy platform and earnestly support his efforts.
The Republican National Committee on Monday formally adopted Trump's 2024 party platform, which focused heavily on economy and border security issues. While both issues have been topline issues for Trump throughout his political career, the platform's inclusion of other provisions highlighted the extent to which his own agenda had inserted itself into the party.
That Trump would exert outsized influence over the RNC is hardly surprising given he essentially handpicked the party leadership. The RNC installed then-North Carolina GOP Chairman Michael Whatley as GOP chairman in March after Trump backed him for the post. It also tapped Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara to serve as co-chair.
