RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel made history at our breakfast
| Washington
Dear Reader,
When Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, joined our breakfast table this week, she made Monitor history.
Did you know, I asked her, that you are the first 鈥渢hird generation鈥� guest to appear at a Monitor Breakfast? Ms. McDaniel鈥檚 grandfather was George Romney, the late Michigan governor, and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney is her uncle. Over the years, both spoke at our breakfast multiple times.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know that!鈥� Ms. McDaniel said proudly.
In fact, her grandfather was our third guest, appearing on Jan. 13, 1967. On Thursday, Ms. McDaniel was our 3,937th.
We do love the tradition that our breakfast represents. But we鈥檙e also all about the news, and gaining insight into what鈥檚 happening right now. With Ms. McDaniel, that included impeachment, the 2020 elections, and the 鈥渇amily feud鈥� between her and Uncle Mitt - who are, shall we say, on opposite sides of the Donald Trump question.
I wrote about that last bit in my . Ms. McDaniel was President Trump鈥檚 pick to run the RNC and fully supports him, while Senator Romney is about as close to a GOP 鈥淣ever Trumper鈥� as there is in the U.S. Senate.
Ms. McDaniel was a good sport when we peppered her with questions about her famous uncle. They don鈥檛 exactly hang out much, but then, they鈥檙e both busy. And she made clear there are no hard feelings. The Romneys are a political family, and strong opinions are inevitable.
Her most poignant comment of the hour might have been this: 鈥淚 feel for Kellyanne sometimes 鈥� the family stuff鈥檚 tough.鈥�
She was joking/not joking about Kellyanne Conway, a top adviser to President Trump, whose husband, George Conway, is vocally anti-Trump.
Ms. McDaniel also spoke of the struggles some women have breaking into politics, and how hard it was for her to raise money at first. And she didn鈥檛 hide the fact that she鈥檚 a mom. Her husband and two teenagers live in Michigan, and Ms. McDaniel goes back and forth. Kids, in fact, can be an asset in politics, she said.
鈥淚鈥檇 take my kids to knock doors. I think it builds character and also is a little bit of punishment for them,鈥� she quipped. 鈥淧eople are also nicer to you when you take your children.鈥�
The C-SPAN video of our breakfast can be viewed .
In a city crackling with tension, Ms. McDaniel鈥檚 easygoing manner was a breath of fresh air. And we do hope her Uncle Mitt will join us again sometime. After all, we鈥檙e eager to hear the other side.
