CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Reveals That Trump Was Secretly Behind RNC Plan to Coronate Him That He Publicly Rejected

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins has revealed that former President Donald Trump was secretly behind the Republican National Committee’s plan to name him the presumptive GOP nominee for president, even though he publicly renounced it after it faced widespread backlash.

The Dispatch reported on Thursday afternoon that the RNC was considering a resolution to recognize Trump as its presumptive nominee despite the fact that only two primary contests have taken place so far and Nikki Haley’s continued presence in the race. The RNC historically stays neutral during the GOP presidential primary season.

Subsequently, Trump reacted to criticism of the resolution by declaring that while he “greatly” appreciated the effort, he felt, “for the sake of PARTY UNITY, that they should NOT go forward with this plan, but that I should do it the ‘Old Fashioned’ way, and finish the process off AT THE BALLOT BOX.”

But according to Collins, Trump had initially favored the measure. Here’s her report from Thursday night:

An ally of Donald Trump is now withdrawing a proposal to make the former president the presumptive Republican nominee before he has even got enough delegates to be the Republican nominee. It’s a withdrawal that came just hours after Trump distanced himself from the effort. This all was happening today.

It was a resolution that would have basically handed the nomination to Trump, even though just Iowa and New Hampshire have voted so far, and that Nikki Haley is very much still in this race tonight. A source tells me that Trump was on board with this resolution initially that his campaign had signed off on it. But then there was backlash within the party when it became public. Trump now says that for the sake of party unity, he believes that the Republican National Committee should not move forward with the draft resolution.

In a Friday morning appearance on Fox & Friends, Haley said she was “disappointed” by RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel’s endorsement of Trump, and blasted Trump for trying to name him the nominee already.

“He’s totally unhinged” and behaving like a definitive “Washington insider,” she argued.

Watch above via CNN.