RNC chair Ronna McDaniel says she's never heard of 'Dark MAGA,' says it 'sounds like a Star Wars thing'
- After losing his primary, Rep. Madison Cawthorn referenced an ominous "Dark MAGA."
- On Sunday, RNC chair Ronna McDaniel said she had no idea what that was.
Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee chair, said she had no idea what "Dark MAGA" is.
"I don't know what "Dark MAGA" is," McDaniel said on Fox News Sunday. "It sounds like the Star Wars thing, like the dark side of the force. I don't know. I don't know what that is."
So-called Dark MAGA is a recent online movement pushing for former President Donald Trump to return to power and take revenge against his enemies, Insider's Alia Shoaib reported. Experts say this movement, which often features white nationalist and neo-Nazi imagery, appears to be the most recent iteration of far-right online extremism.
McDaniels was responding to a question about remarks made by GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn after he lost his North Carolina primary.
In a statement on social media, Cawthorn referred to the need for a new political movement dubbed "Dark MAGA" to take command.
"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."
Cawthorn lost to state Sen. Chuck Edwards. The freshman congressmen faced a number of controversies and scandals since taking office.
Cawthorn was accused of sexual harassment by former college classmates last year, charged with driving with a revoked license. He's defended rioters who stormed the US Capitol during the January 6 insurrection and called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyya a "thug" and said the Ukrainian government was "evil."
McDaniel said the North Carolina primary was a "well-fought" race and said Cawthorn did the right thing by conceding.
"Madison had some issues that came out. He was a rising star in our party, and we need to make sure we retain that seat with Edwards, who defeated him," she said.