GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy launched a petition Wednesday calling for the resignation of Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, with the biotech entrepreneur ripping the longtime party chief as a “losing leader.”
The petition, hosted at FireRonna.com, comes one week after the longshot 2024 candidate first demanded McDaniel step down from the stage at the third GOP debate in Miami.
“I am sick and tired of this Republican establishment that has made us a party of losers. Where is the accountability for years of losing: 2018, 2020, 2022 and now 2023,” Ramaswamy said in a statement. “On the debate stage, I called on Ronna Romney McDaniel to resign. Now, I’m asking grassroots conservatives across the nation to join me so she can feel the power of the people. It’s time to stop the culture of surrender and losing. Resign, Ronna!”
RNC spokesperson Emma Vaughn was quick to fire back.
“The RNC is focused on firing Joe Biden. If Republicans would like to help with that, visit bankyourvote.com,” Vaughn told The Post.
Ramaswamy, 38, used similar language in his opening remarks at the Nov. 8 debate — one day after another round of disappointing election results for the GOP — saying the Republican Party is a “party of losers” and that McDaniel is responsible.
The RNC boss shot back at the multimillionaire Nov. 9, alleging Ramaswamy just needs attention.
“He’s at 4%. He needs a headline,” McDaniel told Fox Business Network’s Stuart Varney. “The RNC doesn’t do state races, we’re a federal committee. So we weren’t involved in those races on Tuesday.”
Several RNC members have come out in support of McDaniel since the spat with Ramaswamy began, including Nevada GOP Chairman Michael J. McDonald, Alabama GOP Chairman John Wahl, Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufman and California GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson.
Ramaswamy first criticized the RNC after he was banned from debating 2024 rival Chris Christie on Fox News — despite him having signed a pledge to not engage in any non-RNC sponsored debates.
The biotech mogul had told The Post at the time he was afraid the RNC would continue to “silence” him throughout the election cycle and had also floated that he would not show up for following debates. He ultimately decided to attend the third debate, but his spokesperson maintained the forums were “not terribly useful.”
Following the second GOP debate in September, the Ramaswamy campaign sent a memo to the RNC calling for some debate rules to be revised so Americans could focus on “serious candidates” capable of beating President Biden.
The proposed amendments included raising the minimum donor threshold from 70,000 to 100,000 and reducing the amount of qualifying candidates to the top four — excluding former President Donald Trump, who has skipped every debate.
He also called for a single moderator to handle the candidates and for the contenders to have more time to speak.
Ramaswamy’s suggestions were not implemented, and he then complained about the RNC partnering with NBC News for the Miami showdown and their choice of moderators: “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt, “Meet The Press” moderator Kristen Welker and radio host Hugh Hewitt.
“Think about who’s moderating this debate,” he said in his opening remarks at the debate. “This should be Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan and Elon Musk. We’d have 10 times the viewership, asking questions that GOP primary voters actually care about, bringing more people into our party.”