Anti-Trump delegates plot to disrupt nomination

CLEVELAND — Anti-Donald Trump Republicans aren’t going quietly in Cleveland.

A day after their effort to force a roll-call vote on the convention rules was squashed, groups of delegates opposed to Trump hope to make one last, loud stand as the GOP officially nominates the brash businessman.

{mosads}Rumors were flying Tuesday around the Quicken Loans Arena over what the Never Trump and Free the Delegates movements had in store.

Some campaign officials and Never Trump operatives mentioned petitions to get Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who finished second behind Trump in the Republican primary, on the convention ballot. Many operatives in the Free the Delegates movement, which argues that delegates should be allowed to vote their “conscience” and oppose Trump irrespective of their state’s election results, are Cruz supporters.

Others are said to be passing around petitions to instigate parliamentary procedures that could gum-up the convention process and embarrass party leaders as the cameras are rolling during primetime.

And there was talk that some delegates are planning to abstain or walk out in protest during the convention.

None of these efforts appeared to have significant support, however, raising the possibility that they could fizzle.

Furthermore, the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign have proved to have a strong whip operation that so far has crushed Never Trump efforts.

The most likely scenario described to The Hill by key operatives in the insurgent faction is to have delegates vote their conscience even though the rules passed on Monday officially bound them to the winner of their state’s primary or caucus.

Delegates are still fuming over how the RNC and the Trump campaign handled a rules vote on Monday.

The rebels say they had support from delegates in enough states to require a roll call vote that risked dragging the convention into the late hours of the night and giving the appearance of a fractured party that doesn’t support its presumptive nominee.

Party leaders put an end to that challenge with a controversial voice vote that provoked shouts and chants from angry delegates on the floor.

On Tuesday night, those same delegates plan to challenge the state party chairmen as they approach the microphone to announce the candidate that their delegation supports.

There could be a half-dozen or more skirmishes between delegates within the same state who disagree over how the process should unfold.

Once again, it has the potential to get loud and ugly.

Some of the rebels say they fear the RNC and Trump campaign will unilaterally eliminate the state-by-state roll call vote and instead call for a voice vote.

A bold move like that would enrage the Never Trump delegates, who have already accused the national party of bullying and seeking to silence them.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who will take his spot as convention chairman, could be caught in the middle.

How he handles a potential rebellion will be highly scrutinized.

The pressure will be on for him to steer the process in a way that ensures Trump comes out the winner but also in a way that allows for grassroots voices to be heard.