The Republican National Committee will next week consider a proposal to de facto immediately declare Donald Trump his presidential candidate, as pressure mounts on the former president’s only remaining challenger, Nikki Haley, to drop out of the race.

David Bossi, an ally of Mr. Trump’s on the national committee, distributed to the rest of the committee members a text that could be put to a vote next week when the party body meets in Las Vegas.

The tycoon and his allies have gone on a campaign to put pressure on the former US ambassador to the UN, which, however, refuses to give up trying to secure the anointing of the faction. Her stance is said to anger Mr Trump, who wants to turn his attention to his rival, his Democratic presidential successor Joe Biden.

The eventual approval of such a resolution by the party’s national committee (RNC) would theoretically escalate the pressure on Mrs. Haley to end her own race. Her campaign, however, seemed rather unmoved by the draft resolution distributed by Mr. Bossi.

“Who cares what the RNC says? “Let’s let the millions of Republican voters across the country decide who our party’s nominee should be, not a club of powerful and influential people in Washington,” her group said in a statement.

Mr. Trump would like to Mrs. Haley to have dropped out of the race before their next clash — in her home state of South Carolina on February 24.

Last Wednesday night the former president threatened those donating sums to the campaign of his former close associate that if they continue to finance her, they will be deprived of all access to him.

Already, two of her supporters have turned off the faucets, since as they explained they don’t see how she could emerge as the winner.