RNC Notebook: Monday’s fresh wounds leave some delegates disgruntled

Published 3:45 pm Tuesday, July 19, 2016

CLEVELAND — The blocking of an attempt by delegates opposed to Donald Trump to change party rules Monday left some opponents of the presumptive nominee disgruntled the next morning.

David Hancock, a delegate for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, was involved in the effort to change party rules to allow delegates committed to Trump to instead “vote their conscience” and back another candidate, if they wanted.

But a move to reject current rules, which do not allow delegates that discretion, was shot down amid much shouting and chanting on the convention floor Monday. A push to force a state by state, roll call vote was also rejected.

“GOP elite shutting down any dissent. Delegates are kind of useless,” Hancock, who is from Georgia, emailed from the convention floor Monday night.

Cecil Stinemetz, an anti-Trump delegate from Iowa, reported that the “Trump squad” shut down a vote.

“Gave some gobble de garbage, and never let motion come forward,” he said. “The party isn’t fixable.”

Eric Opiela, associate general counsel for the Texas Republican Party, said at the delegation’s breakfast Tuesday that he backed Cruz.

“But those of us working in reality” know Trump won the election, he said. Trump’s opponents need to “get over it,” he added, noting the alternative – Democrat Hillary Clinton.