After nearly a week long fire storm surrounding Republican
presidential nominee Donald Trump and his attacks on a federal judge
because of his Mexican heritage, which led to harsh criticism from his supporters and even one un-endorsement, some Republicans are raising the specter that a new nominee could replace Trump.
Bob Vander Plaats, a supporter and campaign co-chair of former
candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, suggested that a convention coup at next
month's Republican nominating convention in Cleveland is possible.
"Everything's got to be on the table," said Vander Plaats,
acknowledging to NBC News that could mean an effort to unbind the
delegates from having to vote for Trump on the convention floor.
Vander Plaats said Trump's recent tirade against Judge Gonzalo Curiel
is leading to "more and more questions going into Cleveland."
Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt also vocalized a plan B on his
radio program, saying that "the party ought to change the nominee —
because we're going to get killed with this nominee."
But despite Vander Plaats and Hewitt's suggestion, two Republican
National Committee rules committee members said they reject the notion,
and Cruz's own top delegate aide quashed the idea on Wednesday.
Ken Cuccinelli, who worked as the Cruz campaign's top delegate
wrangler, emphatically refuted, telling NBC News, that such efforts to
change the party rules to defeat Trump won't happen. Cuccinelli
continues to oversee an effort among Cruz loyalists to influence the
platform and rules committees at the convention.
"That's not going to happen — at least among our people," Cuccinelli
said. "I will say clearly we are not participating, and we are
dissuading people from any effort to change the nominating effort in the
rules committee."
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