GOPers Worry About Bringing Families To Convention After Pro-Trump Threats

UNITED STATES - APRIL 6: The Quicken Loans Arena will host the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images)
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As the planning for the Republican National Convention continues, some party figures are expressing concerns about bringing their families to the Cleveland confab after facing threats from Donald Trump supporters who accused them of trying “steal” the election.

Louisiana GOP chairman Roger Villere told Politico the concerns were brought up to RNC chair Reince Priebus at the party’s spring meeting in Florida this week. Louisiana became the subject of ire from Trump and his supporters after Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign was able to work the delegate system to get more Cruz loyalists into the delegation.

“A lot of us bring our wives and children. Do we really want to? That’s one of the things that was asked,” Villere told Politico. “They assured us that we would be protected.”

He said he received “very aggressive” phone calls to his personal cell phone from Trump supporters, but no death threats.

“I don’t think it’s any different from some tough campaigns I’ve been through in the past,” he said.

Tom John, a GOP district chair in Indiana, told TPM earlier this month that he too was rethinking whether he should bring his wife to the July convention, after receiving “ominous” messages that referenced his family and other personal details.

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Notable Replies

  1. They all thought it was funny when Sarah Palin was putting gun sight targets on Democrats back in 2010… But it seems now that the monster has been turned on them, they are taking a decidedly different tone.

  2. 100% chance they see no connection with what liberals have been pointing out for years- their rhetoric invites violence. Now they’re the target.

    As Trump would say, I really hope nobody gets hurt, but I could understand if violence occurred given how they’ve trained their followers, but I really hope it remains peaceful. But if it doesn’t, they maybe had it coming and hopefully they’ll learn something.

  3. Are the women and children concerned about living and growing up in a society dominated by right wing policies. That threat is bigger and with more of an impact than a few days in Cleveland.

  4. Oh, c’mon, ya pussies. Just hire a whole bunch of good guys with guns.

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