A last ditch effort effort by anti-Trump delegates to derail the nomination of the NY businessman was downplayed by his MA campaign chair, but underscored the odd and fractious nature of this convention.
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Never Trump delegates hoped the rules wouldn’t be approved during a roll call vote, potentially allowing them to unbind their votes. A number of states called for a vote, but three of them fell below the threshold to make the request for the petition vote.
Loud protests began on the convention floor, with delegates chanting, “USA!”
A renegade group of delegates – including some from ME – seeking to force a rules vote that would have embarrassed Trump backers and top GOP officials on the first day of their national meeting was rebuffed in a controversial voice vote, clearing the path for Trump to accept the nomination with no formal challenge. That left the group one state short of the seven needed. The delegates will vote on their nominee Tuesday.
The reversal by some delegates came after heavy lobbying by the Trump campaign and top officials of the Republican National Committee.
“I can not fathom what their thinking was…”, Sen.
Womack left the podium and stage, while the house band came on to play amid the confusion.
Their objections were shouted down by pro-Trump supporters.
Minutes later, Womack had the convention vote by voice again, with both sides again shouting their votes lustily.
#NeverTrump senior adviser Rory Cooper slammed the decision to deny a roll call vote and maintained there were “more than enough states” petitioning for such a vote.
“If Donald Trump is secure in his position as the presumptive nominee, he should have nothing to fear from a routine roll call vote”.
Kaufman, who co-chaired the Rules Committee, told the state delegation Monday morning that the process had been like “trench warfare”, but he had been happy with the results. “Now we take this fight to the floor”. Mike Lee, one of the biggest players in the move for a roll call vote.
“This isn’t a rally of the biggest names in the world”, said Mick Kelly, a member of the Coalition to Stop Trump and March on the RNC, “but there are real activists here with real struggles”. Hopefully Donald Trump can re-energize it.
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Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort targeted Ohio Gov. John Kasich and the Bush family, who are skipping the convention, calling them “part of the past” and saying Kasich was “embarrassing his state” by skipping the convention. I’m not fond of Trump but my guy lost. “Probably after NY, but certainly after IN, it was over. So you move on”.
