ELECTION/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republican Party officials are delivering an unmistakable message as the 2020 campaign season begins: The GOP is the party of Trump. The Republican National Committee is poised to express its ‘undivided support for President Donald J. Trump and his effective Presidency’ as the committee’s members conclude their annual winter meeting here on Friday. The resolution — a symbolic yet unusual step — is just the latest indication of GOP officials closing ranks around Trump even as the President’s national approval rating has slumped and the prospects of a GOP primary challenge become more real. More significantly, the public articulation of support comes on the heels of an unprecedented merger between Trump’s re-election campaign and the RNC, which GOP officials were briefed on during the three-day New Mexico retreat. The merger will bring the Trump re-election campaign and the RNC’s field organizing and fundraising efforts under one roof, dedicating party resources to re-electing Trump before he is officially renominated.”
–Jeremy Diamond and Betsy Klein, “GOP sends ‘distinct message’ to possible challengers: Get on board with Trump in 2020,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, January 24, 2019 6:37 am