Donald Trump’s convention team is organizing to prevent efforts to thwart the candidate’s nomination next month in Cleveland, detailing part of its strategy in a conference call led by campaign chairman Paul Manafort with about 200 staffers and volunteers.
In the call Tuesday night, first reported by Politico, the campaign announced it had broken its delegates up into eight regions, with the goal of each delegate having a point of contact on the campaign who can clarify any issues or concerns that might arise, according to a campaign adviser.
For instance, if a delegate wants clarification on a policy position or has any concerns about the candidate’s comments in the news, that person will have a staff or volunteer they can reach out to.
“The Trump team, at least on the delegate side, actually does have its act together,” the adviser said.
Talk of stopping Trump at the convention has gained renewed attention in the past week, as GOP operatives have held conference calls to gauge interest and start plotting a strategy. The goal would be to pass a rule in the convention’s Rules Committee that would unbind delegates and allow them to vote their conscience.
The Trump adviser downplayed concern that anti-Trump delegates would be able to pull off such a coup. The effort to change the rule would require a majority of the Rules Committee delegates – 57 votes (half plus one) – plus a vote on the convention floor.
The anti-Trump faction, this adviser said, isn’t anywhere near that threshold.
“Until I see that number get to 20, I’m not as concerned,” the adviser said, referring to the number of delegates that would show momentum and near the threshold to put a minority report before the floor
Kendal Unruh of Colorado and Curly Haugland of North Dakota have been two of the most anti-Trump voices on the Rules Committee—both from states that didn’t hold primaries or caucuses. Rather, the delegates got their spots through state conventions, and, this Trump adviser reasons, are less likely to face backlash from voters who cast their ballots for Trump. That factor — the possibility of backlash from primary voters — could be an important one that prevents other Rules Committee members from joining the anti-Trump faction, the adviser added.