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.