Posted on 04/22/2016 7:11:17 AM PDT by Kaslin
After failing to secure a single delegate in Colorado nearly two weeks ago, angry Donald Trump supporters, reacting to the candidates claims of a rigged nomination process, began taking matters into their own hands. This included issuing death threats to Colorado GOP chairman Steve House, who said hes received emails warning him to hide his family and pray he makes it to the convention in Cleveland, as well as phone calls from people telling him to put a gun down his throat, and if he doesnt they will come help him out.
But it seems House hasnt been the sole target. At the RNCs quarterly meeting in Florida this week, many other party leaders shared similar stories.
Politico reports:
One party chair says a Trump supporter recently got in his face and promised bloodshed if he didnt win the GOP nomination. An Indiana delegate who criticized Trump received a note warning against traditional burial that ended with, We are watching you.
The threats come months ahead of a possible contested convention, where Trump is all-but certain to enter with a plurality of delegates bound to him on the first ballot, but he could lose support on subsequent ballots as rules will allow delegates to vote however they choose. And although the harassers are typically anonymous, many party leaders on the receiving end of these threats hold Trump himself at least partly responsible, viewing the intimidation efforts as a natural and obvious outgrowth of the candidates incendiary rhetoric.
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
A Trump supporter recently got in my face and threatened bloodshed at the national convention and said he would meet me at the barricades if Trump isn't the nominee, said one party chairman, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Trump campaign needs to publicly reject bullying and threats of violence. They haven't, yet. It's not okay to give supporters threatening violence a wink and a nod.
Trumps campaign has never explicitly encouraged violence. But it has promoted tactics that have contributed to delegates fear. Earlier in April, a top Trump adviser posted the Tennessee state party chairman Ryan Haynes cell phone number online along with a message accusing the state party of trying to STEAL your vote TODAY. […]
Ive had these thoughts quite a bit and had these discussions with people who think Im an idiot for wanting to go to Cleveland, said Craig Dunn, a delegate from Indiana who supports John Kasich. Dunn said hes most nervous about exiting the convention arena in the moments after a potential Trump loss.
Thats where theres the greatest prospect for danger, he said. I dont see myself walking outside the convention with a Kasich badge.
Dunn was one of at least four Indiana delegates who received disturbing messages — several of which were investigated by local police — after telling POLITICO about their anti-Trump feelings.
Some are hopeful that new campaign manager Paul Manafort will help encourage Trump to temper his rhetoric and brasher tendencies, but others fear its too late, that the intimidation tactics some of his supporters have taken to are already deeply ingrained and part of the Corey [Lewandowski] culture.
One political operative close to Trumps campaign blames the old regime for not doing enough to rein in the threats many continue to make and the violence that has taken place at some of the rallies, but says all that will change now.
That only happens when somebody is not driving the bus, the unnamed operative told Politico. Thats all going to settle down now that Paul is in charge.
“And although the harassers are typically anonymous...”
“...said one party chairman, who spoke on condition of anonymity.”
No proof that Trump supporters are the ones doing this.
Have you even cared to investigate to see if this was true?
Calling Michelle Fields.
Michelle Fields to the white courtesy phone.
Describing what may happen and advocating it are two entirely different things.
It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to think that things could get...tense in Cleveland. That’s not the same thing as hoping they do.
“Trump supporters are such nice gentle people, surely this cant be true”.
Another Cruzlim playing the Victim Card. boo hoo
To be honest, that is the purpose of the primary. Practice those psychological ops and disinformation tactics now; this is only round ONE. The winner has to face Hillary with a billion dollars and the MSM in her purse. And the winner of *THAT* round has to face Putin and every other international badass on the planet.
Anyone that can’t run, and defend against black ops at this early point has no business playing the game in this league, and I think this applies to ANY candidate from any party. Don’t get in the ring in the heavyweight championship if you can’t take and throw some nasty punches.
His poor mother. :-(
Proves nothing. I suspect this is more dirty tricks from the Cruz camp. We see this kind of stuff from blacks and gays who perpetrate similar acts upon themselves to deceive and manipulate the public.
Yes, they will be EPIC during the run-up to the general.
This whole “death threats” is always a tactic the left uses to deflect. Usually when the Left is caught in a scandal or cheating the perpetrator then cries death threats (Michelle Fields) which then the media can then turn their attention elsewhere.
I would like to know whether there is any investigation or leads into these threats- or suspects. Also, apparently since the Roger Stone comment, has any of these delegates chosen to not attend the Cleveland convention for fear of violence?
IIRC, this was turned over to the FBI who responded by saying the so-called threats were not actionable.
I see no update to the CO GOP “investigation” of the Never Trump tweet. Gee, I wonder why that could be?
Scanning some responses to posts or other responses here at FR just might find more than a few implicit if not actual threats, so I’m not ready to dismiss this or other sites out of hand.
Only bad stuff about Cruz reported by National Enquirer can possibly be true.
Chalk their Driveways:-)
This thuggery might work to run little old ladies out of their houses so you can build casinos on their property, but it will not work for getting delegates to vote for you.
The claims they are making are actions that are punishable by prison time. Where are the arrests? Some of them have been investigated by the police, according to the article. Where are the arrests?
I live in Colorado, and I'm one of those pi$$ed off Trump supporters. As much of a right wing nut as I am, I wouldn't do these things, for a number of reasons. Are there people out there that would? Possibly. Then again, there are plenty of homos out there that burn their own houses and businesses down, too. Like I said, leftist tactics.
I'm a gentle elderly man who just can't abide Cruzlims.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.