Allies of President-elect Donald Trump are opening up a new front in the MAGA war with traditionalist Republicans as they vie for leadership of a top Senate campaign group.
Usually a low-profile and relatively drama-free event, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and its allied Republican super PAC the Senate Leadership Fund’s recruitment efforts have been in recent weeks, with potential new leaders joining Trump and Trump. A dispute erupted over whether he had enough loyalty to the movement he helped create.
And while the MAGA Republican opposition initially targeted the highest-ranking positions, it has now extended to non-senior hires. The latest complaints are directed at Brendan Jaspers, who has just been appointed political director of the NRSC ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The campaign against him included private efforts to undermine his credentials and publically critical social media posts by some of Trump’s most prominent allies.
MAGA activists and consultants say their concerns about Jaspers stem from his work as campaign director for the anti-tax group Club for Growth, which opposed Trump in the 2024 primary and later reconciled. Said to be due to this.
A 2024 Trump adviser who was granted anonymity said candidly: “There’s so much talent available, but the NRSC seems more intent on finding people who have only worked against President Trump.” .
The person claimed that Jaspers “did just that.”
Tom Schultz, the club’s vice president of campaigns, said Jaspers’ work focuses on defending the Senate and House elections and school choice, and that he “did not participate in independent spending to oppose Trump in the primaries.” ”, he refuted this claim.
Jaspers became a flashpoint in a broader struggle to gain influence in the Senate’s campaign machinery. MAGA Republicans are unhappy with the senator’s hiring choices. Tim Scott (RS.C.), incoming NRSC Chair. And even some Republican consultants who privately support Mr. Scott are perplexed by his decision to appear poised to antagonize Mr. Trump’s trajectory.
This intraparty war is caused in part by the vacuum created by the senators. Mitch McConnellWith his departure from Republican leadership, some of Mr. Trump’s allies are working to gain an advantage in the post-election power struggle.
Scott, a more traditionalist Republican, appointed former Vice President Mike Pence’s former adviser to executive director of the committee, who became an ardent Trump critic after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Trump’s supporters were incensed when he tried to welcome him as an official. National Diet Building.
His aide, Stephen DeMaura, was just named deputy executive director, and Scott’s former chief of staff, Jennifer DiCasper, was given the role of executive director. NOTUS first reported the move. Mr. DeMaura is expected to assume the role of executive director and was introduced as such at last month’s NRSC event. However, his hiring was not announced. Now, after MAGA activists publicly criticized him, things appear to have changed, with Scott announcing Thursday that he was appointing Mr. DeKasper as executive director and Mr. DeMaura as vice president.
A spokesperson for Scott had no comment on the matter. in press release “I’m excited about the organization we’re building, the wins we’ll put on the board, and the results we’ll deliver for the American people,” Scott said in a letter sent to new hires by the NRSC. “Contributed to the election of the following conservative senators.” Ted Budd, mike lee, Bernie Morenoand Jim BanksThe paper said DeMaura “has started, led and grown political organizations of all types throughout his more than 20-year career in politics and public policy.”
Scott’s aides pointed to a post on X celebrating the staffing move by senators. Tommy Tuberville (Alabama Republican Party) called them a “powerful machine of MAGA warriors.”
The blame goes beyond Scott. Scott ran against Trump in the 2024 primary and later became a devoted ally in the general election.
Kevin McLaughlin, a consultant seen by some in Trump’s orbit as lacking loyalty, is also not a candidate to lead the Senate Leadership Fund super PAC, two people familiar with the process said. Despite rumors that he is on the list of candidates. Mr. McLaughlin has said he is running for the job, according to people who have spoken with him, prompting allies close to Mr. Trump to threaten to form a competing super PAC. , it is unclear whether he was seriously considered.
McLaughlin told POLITICO that he has “not talked to anyone” about taking over the SLF, and strongly disputes suggestions that he is not loyal to Trump.
But the dispute over NRSC employment continues, and it exploded into public view after Trump campaign co-chairman Chris LaCivita criticized the committee on X.
“Anyone making decisions at @NRSC needs their head examined.” he posted.
Meanwhile, far-right activist Laura Loomer, who flew on President Trump’s plane during the campaign, specifically bashed Jaspers before his position was announced. Click on the X to highlight it Connection with Club for Growth.
Trump and the Growth Club have a long and complicated history. The club, a power center for fiscal conservatives, opposed President Trump in the 2024 primary. But the group’s president, David McIntosh, and Mr. Trump, who once called the group the “China Growth Club,” reached a settlement in February.
Trump himself has not publicly commented on the Senate Republican group’s recent hires. Complaints about staffing come from people with varying degrees of closeness to the president-elect. And some conflicts may be driven more by political consultants’ economic interests or personal grievances than concerns about the party’s ideological purity. Scott’s team said he and Trump have been in touch about staffing.
But some Trump allies want to hire former campaign manager Dylan Loeffler, a MAGA ally in the Senate, according to two people familiar with the hire. ron johnson (R-Wis.), becomes the group’s political director. President Trump’s press secretary did not respond to a request for comment.
And this infighting, highlighting the fight to reshape the traditional Republican Party into a party more in the MAGA mold, stands in sharp contrast to the outgoing NRSC chair’s tenure. steve daineswisely courted President Trump and his allies as they seek to retake the Senate majority in 2024.
Mr. Scott’s hiring move in particular has surprised some Republican strategists, who see it as an unforced error that will cause a distracting fight with MAGA supporters. Mr. Scott and Mr. Trump have a personal relationship, and Mr. Scott was being considered as a running mate. But awkwardness among top staffers could hinder the NRSC’s efforts to expand its majority — especially given the incoming president’s role in assisting various campaign groups with tasks such as fundraising and recruiting. This is because there are many competing demands for their attention.
Scott will make hiring decisions in his campaign department, but will be the next Senate Republican leader. John Thune He will be deeply involved in staffing the SLF Super PAC.
SLF has long been run by McConnell’s top aides, who played a key role in selecting aides for the Senate campaign group. SLF’s current chairman, Stephen Law, has announced that he will step down from his position following the election.
Super PACs and their nonprofit affiliates will direct hundreds of millions of dollars in spending in Senate races. Former Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) was recently named chairman of the board, but the top staff position remains vacant.
