Shots Fired: Vivek Ramaswamy Launches Petition to Fire Ronna McDaniel

Jeff Charles reporting for RedState 

Entrepreneur and presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is not done with Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel just yet. In a moment that went viral during the third GOP presidential primary debate, the candidate went after the RNC chair in full force, even going so far as to call for her resignation on the stage.

Ramaswamy was channeling seemingly widespread dissatisfaction among the conservative base with McDaniels’ performance during her tenure at the helm of the committee. But now, he has launched a new petition in an effort to oust her.

Business entrepreneur and White House hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign launched FireRonna.com, a petition to unseat the Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, the Daily Caller has learned first.

The petition aims to rally “grassroots conservatives” in support of Ramaswamy’s call for McDaniel to resign, one week after the presidential candidate called for the RNC leader to step down during the third primary debate, the Daily Caller learned. During his opening statement at the third presidential debate, Ramaswamy called the Republican Party the “party of losers” under McDaniels leadership, adding that he would cede his time to the chair if she would like to resign.

“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 press release obtained by the Daily Caller. “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!”

Despite dissatisfaction among the conservative base, McDaniel will likely retain her position as RNC Chair, especially because she still has former President Donald Trump’s support. Other Republicans have also come out in support of McDaniel, including Nevada GOP Chairman Michael J. McDonald and California GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson.

Of course, the petition is a political stunt intended to get more donations for Ramaswamy’s campaign. When you go to the site, you can cast your vote, after which time it solicits these donations. However, it is worth noting that if the campaign is keeping track of the votes, it might not directly lead to McDaniels’ ouster, but it could further show how little support she has among everyday Republican voters.

After the 2022 midterms turned out to be a major disappointment, most on the right were looking forward to the opportunity to remove McDaniels from her position.

A survey by Convention of States Action conducted by the Trafalgar Group in late December found roughly 73 percent of Republican voters said the party should elect someone new to lead the RNC at the party’s meetings later this month. Six percent of those surveyed said McDaniel should be reelected to a fourth term, while 21 percent said they weren’t sure.

Lawyer Harmeet Dhillon became a favorite among conservative voters to replace her. But the delegates at the convention chose McDaniel despite what many rank-and-file Republicans desired. However, with discontent among the base growing, it is only a matter of time before the party has to listen.