Here’s an excerpt from an article in Politico co-written by Eli Stokols & Kyle Cheney concerning the intimidation leveled at delegates to the forthcoming Republican Convention who see fit not to support Donald Trump:
First it was an email warning Steve House, the Colorado GOP chairman, to hide his family members and “pray you make it to Cleveland.” Then there was the angry man who called his cell phone and told him to put a gun down his throat.
“He said, ‘I’ll call back in two minutes and if you’re still there, I’ll come over and help you’,” House recalled.
Since Donald Trump came up empty in his quest for delegates at the Republican state assembly in Colorado Springs nearly two weeks ago, his angry supporters have responded to Trump’s own claims of a “rigged” nomination process by lashing out at Republican National Committee delegates that they believe won’t support Trump at the party’s convention — including House.
The mild-mannered chairman estimates he’s gotten between 4,000 and 5,000 calls on his cell phone. Many, he says, have ended with productive conversations. He’s referred the more threatening, violent calls to police. His cell phone is still buzzing this week, as he attends the RNC quarterly meetings in Florida, and he’s not the only one.
In hotel hallways and across dinner tables, many party leaders attending this week’s meetings shared similar stories. One party chair says a Trump supporter recently got in his face and promised “bloodshed” if he didn’t win the GOP nomination. An Indiana delegate who criticized Trump received a note warning against “traditional burial” that ended with, “We are watching you.”
Naturally, I am sickened but not surprised by this boorish behavior. After all, it was Trump who said last month if he didn’t win, “I think you’d have riots. I think you’d have riots. I’m representing a tremendous many, many millions of people.” Why would Trump ever entertain such a suggestion unless it was intended to intimidate Republicans into submission? Why would Trump make a suggestion if he didn’t know what his supporters are capable of doing on his behalf?
As I have previously argued these tactics are nothing more than domestic terrorism. If I was a Republican delegate and threatened in such a manner over the phone, I would tell the ruffian something like this, “I am going to vote Ted Cruz at the Republican National Convention. By threatening me with grievous harm for doing so you have committed a crime. Therefore, I shall now call the police and the FBI. Have a nice day.”
Trump thugs are basically giving the Republican delegates the choice of Trump or Death. There is no room for violence or threats of violence because delegates to the Republican National Convention dare to support someone other than Donald Trump. The only room for such people is the inside of a prison cell. And so long as Trump refuses to admonish his supporters for their behavior he is just as guilty of threatening violence as they are. Should Donald Trump have fewer than 1,237 delegates at the time of the GOP Convention, Republicans must refuse to be intimidated and ensure his defeat for the good of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the very existence of the Republican Party as a home for conservatives.
