“I am here to offer this party an alternative. I’m here to redefine what this party sees as victory. It means winning elections,” Dhillon said as he addressed a small conference Tuesday, in one of its final sessions. “It doesn’t mean converting more voters. It does not mean disclosure. It doesn’t mean the number of phone calls you try to make but don’t get connected.»
“That is not a victory. Victory is our people in office making laws that protect our fundamental freedoms.»
Republicans have experienced three election cycles of mediocre results, most recently during the midterms when a predicted red wave failed to materialize.
Behind Dhillon, at 31 percent, was Mike Lindell, a right-wing commentator and leading proponent of former President Donald Trump’s false election claims. Throughout the weekend, conference attendees lined up for photos with the CEO of “MyPillow”. Both Dhillon and Lindell took the stage to pyrotechnics and standing ovations as they addressed the crowd.
Of the 1,150 conference attendees who responded to the survey, 10 percent said they weren’t sure who they wanted to be the next NCR president. Only 2 percent of those polled chose McDaniel. Results do not add to 100 due to rounding.
McDaniel has so far maintained the support of dozens of RNC members, despite a barrage of negative messages from leading conservative figures. His campaign has pointed to a letter of support sent earlier this month by 107 of the RNC’s 168 voting members, saying they support McDaniel’s re-election. That level of support exceeds the majority McDaniel would need to be re-elected, though Dhillon says he believes he will continue to undermine McDaniel.
«Support for the president has only grown since her announcement, and she looks forward to speaking with each and every member to discuss how the party can continue to build on our investments and make the necessary improvements to compete and win in 2024.» said Emma Vaughn. , spokesman for McDaniel’s re-election.
Throughout the weekend, Dhillon appeared on live broadcasts and established conservative talk shows from the conference’s media row, culminating in a live podcast recording with commentator Tim Pool from the convention hall on Monday. at night.
Rich Baris of Big Data Poll, a conservative firm, conducted the electronic polling survey on Monday, a link to which was sent to registered conference attendees.
Sixty-five percent of attendees said they strongly disapproved of McDaniel’s job as president. A staggering 93 percent said RNC members «should listen to the grassroots» when deciding who to vote for president.
Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point, sent an email to the RNC’s 168 voting members on Monday to «plead» them to listen to the rank and file Conservatives who want them to withdraw their support from McDaniel. Kirk briefed them on a new Turning Point political initiative, the Mount Vernon Project, to recruit new RNC members to challenge incumbents who are out of touch with grassroots activists.
This year’s RNC presidential race, not typically an election that attracts intense scrutiny or media attention, has become particularly contentious.
“I am running against Conservative Inc.,” Dhillon said Tuesday. «I’m competing against a swamp of fat cat consultants taking money from multi-million dollar and small dollar donors and paying them whether they win or lose.»
Dhillon has criticized the RNC’s spending on vendors with ties to the committee, though the RNC has also paid his law firm for legal work in recent years.
Trump, over the weekend, said he liked both McDaniel and Dhillon and
I wasn’t taking sides in the race
.