President Donald Trump on Friday urged Republicans to reelect Joe Gruters as chairman of the Republican National Committee, backing him to remain in the post despite the party’s worst midterm defeat since the Watergate era.
Trump endorsed Gruters’ bid in a post on Truth Social, crediting him with turning the RNC into “an efficient, focused, and powerful machine.”
“Joe Gruters should return as Chairman of the RNC to continue to build our Party, and be a trusted partner as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and ensure Free and Fair Elections,” Trump wrote. “Republicans everywhere should support him as he continues his mission at the RNC.”
Gruters, a former chairman of the Florida Republican Party, was first elected RNC chairman in 2025 after receiving Trump’s endorsement then.
Gruters helped organize the party’s unusual midterm convention in Dallas that the chairman dubbed “Trump-a-palooza.” The event was widely criticized by political strategists and forced Republican candidates to appear alongside an unpopular president with low approval ratings weeks before the election. The midterm results suggest the strategy might have backfired.
The RNC chair is elected by the committee’s members, and a presidential endorsement has typically carried decisive weight with the party’s rank and file. Trump’s backing signals that, even after a historic midterm rout, he intends to keep his chosen leadership in place as the party turns toward the 2028 presidential race.
