RNC Chair Bashes #NeverTrump Movement: Unity ‘Essential To Victory’

Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus on Friday urged his party to unite behind the eventual nominee, even if that person happens to be Donald Trump.

At the RNC’s spring meeting in Hollywood, Florida, Priebus said that rallying behind the eventual GOP candidate was “essential to victory in November,” according to The Hill. His comments appeared to be targeted at the conservatives behind the “Never Trump” movement, who have vowed to oppose Trump’s candidacy at all costs.

“This goes for everyone, whether you’re a county party chairman, an RNC member, or a presidential candidate,” Priebus continued. “Politics is a team sport, and we can’t win unless we rally around whoever becomes our nominee.”

As the New York real estate mogul has crept closer to the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination before the Republican convention in July, many in the #NeverTrump movement seem to be wavering. When faced with a choice between likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Trump, their answer often morphs into “eventually Trump.”

Though Priebus seemed prepared to support Trump’s candidacy at the RNC meeting, he also pushed back against the GOP frontrunner for accusing the committee of rigging the nomination with complex delegate rules.

“The rules say you have to have 1,237 delegates to be the nominee,” Priebus said, as quoted by The Hill. “We aren’t going to hand the nomination to anyone with a plurality, no matter how close they are to 1,237. You need a majority. Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”