Trump 2020 or bust, top Republican official tells conservative conference

The chair of the Republican National Committee said Thursday that any Republican primary challenge to President Donald Trump in next year's U.S. election is doomed to fail.

"They have the right to jump in and lose, that's fine," Ronna McDaniel said at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual political gathering of Republicans near Washington, D.C. "They will lose horribly."

Former Ohio governor John Kasich, who ran against Trump for the Republican nomination in 2016, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan have been mentioned as possible challengers to Trump, who has already announced he is running for a second term.

Earlier this month, former Massachusetts governor William Weld said he was considering mounting a primary fight. Weld was a vice-presidential candidate on Gary Johnson's Libertarian Party ticket in the 2016 election.

McDaniel, who was named to her position by Trump, has made the RNC a staunch ally of the president and a partner in his 2020 campaign effort.

She noted Trump enjoys a 93 per cent approval rating among Republicans.

"Have at it. Go ahead. Waste your money. Waste your time. And go ahead and lose," she said of potential Republican competitors.

Some RNC members have called for rule changes to thwart any primary challenge, but McDaniel seemed to suggest that will not occur.

McDaniel is the niece of Mitt Romney, the former two-time presidential candidate and new senator, who has ruled out another bid for the presidency.

Trump will address the conference on Saturday following his return from Vietnam where he held a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.