RNC Chair Michael Whatley urges party unity amid GOP turmoil in the House

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley urged statement unity erstwhile asked astir Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's threat to unit a ballot to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson this week, months earlier House Republicans take sides their slim mostly successful nan November elections.

"We request to flip nan Senate, and we request to grow our mostly successful nan House. We're not going to do that if we're not unified," Whatley said during an question and reply pinch NBC News erstwhile asked for his connection to Republicans backing Johnson's ouster.

"We request to make judge that each of nan Republicans understand nan gravity of this predetermination cycle, and they do, and we request to make judge that we are connected nan aforesaid page arsenic we're moving forward," he continued.

Whatley's plea for unity comes conscionable days earlier Johnson's grip connected his enclosure faces a cardinal test.

Greene, R-Ga., said past week that she will telephone a motion to vacate for Johnson, R-La., forcing members of some parties to see whether they will ballot to prevention his speakership.

Democrats person already said they will reason Greene's motion, efficaciously defending Johnson's speakership, a domiciled he took connected aft Kevin McCarthy was booted successful October.

Whatley, erstwhile President Donald Trump's hand-picked prime to helm nan RNC, was elected arsenic nan committee's chair successful March to win Ronna McDaniel. Just months into his position, he faces nan awesome task of shaping nan statement organization successful nan image of Trump, who chose him for nan position aft publicly casting uncertainty on McDaniel's expertise to lead nan statement apparatus.

McDaniel had agreed to resign aft facing criticism from chap Republicans astir nan party’s underperformance successful caller elections. In February, Trump endorsed Whatley, antecedently nan North Carolina Republican Party chairman, successful summation to his daughter-in-law Lara Trump for co-chair.

Weeks into Whatley's leadership, nan RNC faced media reports alleging that occupation applicants were asked during interviews whether nan 2020 predetermination was stolen — a mendacious declare that Trump and immoderate of his supporters person agelong promoted.

"The only litmus trial that I person is whether aliases not you support our Republican candidates and whether you're consenting to activity 24/7 from now done Nov. 5 to make judge that we win," Whatley said.

When pressed connected nan issue, Whatley said he wants to prosecute group "who support him and who support his agenda," referring to Trump.

Whatley besides discussed Trump's caller comments successful support of absentee and early voting, which immoderate saw arsenic a departure from his erstwhile disapproval of voting by mail.

Trump said successful a station to Truth Social past month, successful each capitalized letters, “Absentee voting, early voting, and Election Day voting are each bully options.”

Trump often and forcefully railed against mail-in voting for years, arguing without evidence that it is "totally corrupt."

Whatley said Trump is "very accordant successful saying that ultimately, you know, he would for illustration to spot immoderate changes nationally and a state-by-state basis."

"But we are going to triumph by nan rules of nan roadworthy that we person successful spot today, and we request to compete," Whatley added.

As NBC News has reported, Republican officials pushing voters to judge voting by message and early voting person tally into guidance from immoderate of Trump’s astir fervent supporters.

While nan statement is encouraging its supporters to ballot by mail, it’s besides pursuing lawsuits to make it much difficult for those votes to count. The RNC is engaged successful 82 lawsuits successful 25 states focusing connected mail-in ballot deadlines, purging elector rolls, and ballot driblet boxes.

The RNC has succeeded connected immoderate fronts — it notched a triumph in battleground Pennsylvania, where nan statement and different Republican groups challenged efforts to count absentee ballots missing a date. But strategies successful different lawsuits, specified as recent ones revenge successful Nevada on mail-in voting and purging elector rolls — person already faced pushback from judges.

When pressed connected whether these lawsuits are paving nan measurement for Trump to declare nan 2024 predetermination was stolen successful nan arena he loses to President Joe Biden for a 2nd time, Whatley said that is “absolutely not” nan RNC’s goal.

“This is this is simply a strategy designed to make it easy to ballot and difficult to cheat,” said Whatley. “These are things that are powerfully supported by a immense mostly of nan American people. That has thing to do pinch elector suppression.”

After a rally successful Wisconsin past week, Trump gave an interview to nan Milwaukee Journal Sentinel successful which he would not perpetrate to accepting nan predetermination results if he loses.

“If everything’s honest, I’d gladly judge nan results,” Trump told nan Sentinel. “If it’s not, you person to conflict for nan correct of nan country.”

“But if everything’s honest, which we expect it will beryllium — a batch of changes person been made complete nan past fewer years — but if everything’s honest, I will perfectly judge nan results,” he said.

Dasha Burns and Abigail Brooks reported from Palm Beach, Florida. Megan Lebowitz reported from Washington, D.C.