Reince Priebus is among the few individuals who have adeptly navigated the Republican party before and after Donald Trump’s presidency in 2016.
The former Republican National Committee chair, Wisconsin GOP chair, and White House chief of staff is utilizing his diplomatic prowess to gather around $70 million for the upcoming national convention in July, reported The Wall Street Journal.
As the head of the host committee, Priebus finds himself, albeit indirectly, working for the individual who abruptly ousted him from the White House a mere six months into his tenure, the report said.
In an interview in a downtown office overlooking the convention center where Trump will be officially nominated in Milwaukee, Priebus disclosed that his strategy for dealing with the former president’s prominent presence is to refrain from trying to overshadow him.
“I watch my mouth pretty closely,” he said. “I pick and choose my battles. And I’m willing to take a punch for the long haul. I didn’t write a book. Could have. I didn’t.”
Priebus, aged 52, noted that individuals who lack experience with Trump may not realize his penchant for obsessing over details.
“Trump is a force of nature,” he said. “He is the chief of staff, and he’s the communications director, and he’s involved and interested in all the details.”
Despite Trump securing the Republican nomination earlier this year, backing for ex-South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley underscored party divisions.
Concerns linger among corporate figures and donors over Trump’s controversies and the GOP’s populist shift, the report said.
“Unlike 2016, I think people out there in the business world realize that the likelihood of President Trump being president is pretty high,” he said. “It is going to be Trump or Biden, and those are the choices that America has, and not being a part of a convention if you have corporate interests, or you have community interests, it’s not really an option.”
Priebus noted that fundraising for the GOP convention is approximately $20 million ahead of the 2012 or 2016 benchmarks, with nearly all of Wisconsin’s Fortune 500 companies committing financial backing.
Among donors are Northwestern Mutual, We Energies, and the Forest County Potawatomi, operators of the Potawatomi Casino Hotel.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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