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Analysis
Attorney Harmeet K. Dhillon has represented some of the biggest names on the far-right.
Dhillon is running for chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC). On Friday, the RNC will pick between her, current Chair Ronna McDaniel, and Mike Lindell.
If you don’t watch Fox News, you may have never heard of her. But her legal work and willingness to get camera-ready have made Dhillon a star in conservative media circles.
Dhillon and her firm have reportedly represented former President Donald Trump, Project Veritas, Andy Ngô, and Mike Flynn. Flynn’s so pumped by her candidacy that he offered to serve in a senior leadership position if she wins.
In 2020, Dhillon filed a slew of lawsuits against COVID-19 restrictions in California. Also that year she was involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election on behalf of Trump.
Her campaign for RNC chair has attracted support from country music singer Travis Tritt, conservative influencer Catturd, and the GOPs of Nebraska and Washington.
Alas, she did not secure the endorsement of one of her clients. The Hill reports that Trump would only say he likes both Dhillon and McDaniel. Perhaps that’s why Dhillon has lately taken to courting support from never-Trumpers, per Politico.
Some of Dhillon’s supporters may be surprised to learn that she condemned the Capitol riot.
During the riot, Dhillon tweeted, “This scene at the US Capitol is shocking and disgraceful…. We are a nation of laws, not anarchy.” Archives show that she also retweeted other conservatives’ condemnations of the violence that day.
Some Republicans may also be taken aback by her prior donations to Vice President Kamala Harris and the fact that Dhillon was on the board of a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
These arguable transgressions against today’s GOP aside, Dhillon’s internet history offers plenty to feed the vitriol machine that keeps extremists chugging along.
Dhillon called antifa “an organized criminal enterprise” and referred to abortion providers as “death merchants.” An immigrant herself, she even claimed that for every “striving” immigrant, there’s “some criminal looking for a shortcut.”
You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Gettr, Parler, and Truth Social. Dhillon’s online footprint is heavy on clips of her guest spots on Fox News interspersed with things she’s knitted and eaten.
Why it matters
Initially a long-shot candidate, Dhillon has amassed enough support to give McDaniel a real challenge for RNC chair.
Win or lose, there’s no chance that Dhillon is done playing the game.
