Ronna McDaniel: ‘I don’t know what Dark MAGA is’

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Sunday said she doesn’t “know what Dark MAGA is” in response to a question about a statement by Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) about what he says is the rise of a new far right-wing political faction.

McDaniel told “Fox News Sunday” that Cawthorn’s “Dark MAGA” comments reminded her of a popular science fiction film franchise.

“I don’t know what Dark MAGA is,” she said. “It sounds like a Star Wars thing, like the dark side of the force.”

Cawthorn, who represents North Carolina’s 11th congressional district, lost the GOP primary race last week to state Sen. Chuck Edwards after a series of scandalous headlines and controversy, including photos of him wearing women’s lingerie, comments he made alleging “orgies” among the Washington elite and a remark calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “thug.”

After his loss, Cawthorn tweeted ambiguously about the rise of an apparent political faction within the Make America Great Again banner, calling it “Dark MAGA.”

“It’s time for the rise of the new right, it’s time for Dark MAGA to truly take command,” Cawthorn said in an Instagram post. “We have an enemy to defeat, but we will never be able to defeat them until we defeat the cowardly and weak members of our own party. Their days are numbered. We are coming.”

McDaniel said the North Carolina primary it was a “well-fought” race between Cawthorn and Edwards.

“Madison had some issues that came out, he was a rising star in our party,” she said, “but Madison did the right thing in conceding.”