Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk responded to Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel after she called out TPUSA for supporting Harmeet Dhillon in her race to unseat McDaniel.
McDaniel, RNC chairwoman since 2017, is facing a challenge to her reelection this year from Dhillon, the RNC national committeewoman from California and election integrity lawyer who represents former President Donald Trump.
Kirk is one of several outspoken conservative critics of McDaniel who think the GOP is ready for new leadership. Dhillon was heavily promoted at TPUSA’s AmericaFest convention held over the weekend. She overwhelmingly defeated McDaniel in a straw poll of AmericaFest attendees, coming in at 58 percent support compared to McDaniel’s two percent.
On Wednesday, McDaniel spoke to Fox News’s Brian Kilmeade about her challenge from Dhillon and called out TPUSA’s alleged failure to register a significant amount of voters during the last midterm election cycle.
As Fox News reported:
McDaniel says Dhillon is a good attorney but never ran a state party or campaign. McDaniel took issue with Turning Point USA for pushing Dhillon. McDaniel said Turning Point does great conferences but asked, how many young voters did they register and how many youth voters did they turn out this cycle? McDaniel feels if you are going to hold the RNC accountable, start looking at these outside organizations that don’t disclose their finances.
In response to McDaniel’s comments, Kirk took to Twitter to highlight TPUSA’s activism in the most recent election cycle.
“Ronna, thanks for asking. Turning Point logged more than 500k volunteer hours this election cycle. TPAction directly contacted and engaged over 5 million voters,” Kirk tweeted. “We hosted well over 100 major door knocking events and rallies in target states and districts.”
Ronna, thanks for asking.
Turning Point logged more than 500k volunteer hours this election cycle.
TPAction directly contacted and engaged over 5 million voters.
We hosted well over 100 major door knocking events and rallies in target states and districts. (1/5) https://t.co/8ACHWgbQuw
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) December 22, 2022
Kirk added that TPUSA recruited “over 2,000 new precinct leaders” and “Registered tens of thousands of new voters.”
Kirk also highlighted the rallies TPUSA held with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in support of GOP candidates across the country.
“We also…Reached tens of millions of listeners in podcast, radio, and streaming on The Charlie Kirk Show. Messaged to Hispanic voters in South Florida, Phoenix, and Tucson,” Kirk tweeted. “Supported Mike Lee and Andy Biggs against Romney-backed ‘Independent’ plants.”
Kirk boasted that TPUSA could accomplish these feats with “only $500,000” and “a few million via our 501c4.”
All by spending only $500,000 via our and a few million via our 501c4
How many hundreds of millions did the RNC spend?
Instead of attacking the only youth org in the country actually doing something, maybe you should be thankful we are doing the work. (4/5)
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) December 22, 2022
Kirk then called out McDaniel for the reports that the RNC lavishly spent millions of dollars under her tenure, including over $1 million for luxury travel and several hundred thousand on “floral arrangements.”
“How many hundreds of millions did the RNC spend?” Kirk tweeted. “Instead of attacking the only youth org in the country actually doing something, maybe you should be thankful we are doing the work.”
“This is exactly why you should not longer be chair – this is why 98% of our attendees want you fired. If I had a 98% disapproval rating I would resign,” Kirk tweeted. “Instead of attacking us you should be sending us $700,000 in flowers thanking us.”
Instead of attacking us you should be sending us $700,000 in flowers thanking us.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) December 22, 2022
The RNC’s 168 voting members will vote for a chairwoman on January 27.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
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