It’s no secret that Republicans aren’t marching in lockstep unity behind Donald Trump, despite the fact that he officially clinched the presidential nomination this week at the convention.
Parties always have internal squabbles, but what’s striking at the Republican National Convention is just how open delegates and life-long Republicans are about their varying degrees of enthusiasm for the nominee.
We’ve encountered three types of Republicans:
All-in for Trump
These are members of Trump’s army. The die-hard, red-trucker-hat-wearing, Make-America-Great-Again-shouting supporters of the real estate mogul’s campaign and message. During the primaries, they ran to be delegates specifically on behalf of Trump and have been instrumental in beating back efforts to keep him from securing the nomination.
“The basic understanding has got to be that if you’re here, you’ve got to be a Trump supporter,” said former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.
Well, not so fast …
#NeverTrump until the end
Despite failed attempts to stop Trump during the primary season, on state convention floors across the country and in rules committee meetings before this week’s national party meeting, these people still refuse to jump on the Trump Train. They believe a Trump presidency risks damaging the party and they want no part in it.
Kendal Unruh, a delegate from Colorado and a leader of the #NeverTrump movement, even wore black on the day of the nomination vote to “mourn” what she said was the death of conservatism in the Republican Party. In November, she’ll write in Ronald Reagan.
“My daughter says, ‘You know he’s dead?’ I say, ‘Yeah,’ hence the form of a protest vote,” Unruh said.
Settling for Trump, maybe
Call them “Trump supporters,” but with an asterisk. They’re not enthusiastic about their party pick, but they can’t fathom the thought of presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton winning the White House. They won’t actively work against Trump, and they’ll voice support for him — even begrudgingly — out of loyalty for the party. And they’ll be putting most of their energy into electing Republicans to the House and Senate, which they believe is the only hope to keep a President Trump on a conservative path.
“I’ll be voting for the nominee,” said longtime Republican activist Grover Norquist, who says he’s a Trump supporter, but “with an explanation … the knowledge that he’ll be joined by a Republican House and Senate.”