Report: Swing-state primary process crafted by RNC could give Trump a significant boost.

The Michigan Republican Party’s Proposal to Change the Presidential Primary Process

The Michigan Republican Party recently approved a proposal that could potentially benefit former President Donald Trump in the state’s presidential primary process. The plan, however, still needs approval from the Republican National Committee to move forward. According to the chairwoman of Michigan’s Republican Party, the organization collaborated with the RNC in developing the proposal.

“We worked with the entire RNC team, RNC legal, so this was not some cockamamie plan that we just came up with on our own,” GOP state party chairwoman Kristina Karamo said to ABC. “We talked to the RNC, you know, leadership team to make sure that this was a proper, well-thought-out process.”

The GOP state committee ratified the primary process by allowing Michigan to select over two-thirds of their state delegates for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination through a caucus meeting. This is a departure from the current system where all delegates are awarded to the winner of the state’s primary election. Under the proposed plan, the primary winner would receive 10 delegates, while the remaining 42 would be awarded to candidates based on the election results of caucuses in the 13 congressional districts.

Karamo revealed that she discussed the proposal directly with Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. It’s worth noting that Karamo, who ran for secretary of state in 2022 but lost to the Democratic incumbent Jocelyn Benson, has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s election denial theories and refused to concede the 2020 election to President Joe Biden.

“It’s no secret that Donald Trump is extremely popular among local party officials in Michigan,” said 2024 Republican presidential candidate Steve Laffey. “This is just another blatant move to try and prevent the will of the people.”

Michigan Republicans have consistently shown support for Trump, endorsing Trump-backed candidates for statewide office. The move to change the primary process comes in the wake of a Democratic-controlled legislature passing a bill earlier this year to move Michigan’s primary from the second Tuesday in March to the fourth Tuesday in February, following a proposal from Biden. Republicans argue that this change gives Democrats an unfair advantage and violates RNC rules that prohibit certain states from holding primaries before March 1.

“It prevented Michigan from receiving a penalty, and I would be derelict in my duty if I didn’t do everything in my power to protect the voice of Michigan Republicans,” Karamo explained.

As of now, a Trump campaign spokesperson and the RNC have not responded to requests for comment.