Anti-Trump forces make last stand at Republican convention

Trump’s rise had alarmed both the party’s conservative wing, who view the populist billionaire with suspicion, as well as rank and file Republicans who worry that the political outsider will do lasting damage to the party with his brash style, which has especially antagonised women and minorities.
Anti-Trump forces had held out hope for disrupting the convention -first in party meetings last week and then during Monday’s opening proceedings in Cleveland, Ohio – to free delegates to choose another candidate in spite of the results of intra-party voting since February, though which Trump had become the presumptive nominee.
As delegates held a voice vote on whether to approve the convention’s rules, chaos broke out on the floor of the convention in what is typically a staid, perfunctory portion of the proceedings. Pro-Trump delegates began raucously yelling, “aye” in approval of rules that require delegates to vote for the winner of primaries in their states, while anti-Trump forces vocally shouted their opposition.
“It’s a very anti-grassroots package,” said Jeffrey Smith of Arizona. “I don’t know why they aren’t willing to hold a vote.”
An effort to call for a roll call vote on the rules package by Utah Senator Mike Lee was denied by Republican Party officials, who claimed not enough states had petitioned for the vote. However, anti-Trump delegates claimed the choice had been made unfairly and that they had indeed had enough support.
Things got personal as pro-Trump supporters and anti-Trump delegates exchanged harsh words on the floor.
“Maybe for once we should go with the majority of the people, what they want,” quipped a Trump supporter to anti-Trump delegate EricMinor.
Minor forcefully disagreed, insisting that a roll call vote was thedemocratic way to proceed.
“That’s not how it works in America. What you [Trump supporters] just did is what happens in Venezuela and the Soviet Union in the 1980s. It doesn’t happen in America, except under Donald Trump,” said an incensed Minor, who quickly attracted a slew of reporters and the attention of security officials who claimed he was blocking the path and needed to move from the floor.
Minor was not the only delegate to exchange harsh words with the other side.
“These people just need to get over it,” said Michigan delegate Judi Schwalbach, who feels the anti-Trump forces are simply unable to lose gracefully.
“The majority rules. It was simple majority rule. You have to be able to take your loss, lick your wounds and move on,” she said after shooting angry glances across the aisle at the Utah delegation, which is a hotbed of anti-Trump sentiment.
“Spoken like a true totalitarian,” an anti-Trump delegate shot back.