PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Some people brag about their home states.
But Rhode Island’s delegation to the Republican National Convention is taking some heat back home for using its spotlight to trash the state’s reputation on national TV.
State GOP Chairman Brandon Bell delivered Rhode Island’s votes in the state-by-state roll call that led to Donald Trump’s nomination Tuesday night.
It’s a time when delegates use their few minutes with the microphone to share trivia or tout amenities. Several of Rhode Island’s delegates wore sailor hats. One appeared to be smoking a cigar.
Bell praised Rhode Island’s beauty but said it constantly ranks at the bottom, calling attention to one ranking saying it’s the worst for business.
He blamed a corrupt Democratic machine he says has run the state for 80 years.
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But does Brandon Bell know what the capitol of Rhode Island is? The delegate from Nevada thought his state’s capitol was Las Vegas.
It’s a brain trust, I tell ya.