Most of the Republican party establishment has reconciled itself to the fact that Donald Trump will be the party’s nominee. But as he keeps making embarrassing, unpresidential statements, racks up a record 70% unfavorable rating, and falls farther behind Hillary Clinton in the polls, some Republican operatives are thinking up last-ditch efforts to stop him at the convention. These have to do with various ways of changing the convention rules so as to free delegates to vote their conscience, rather than following the primary or caucus results in their states. One possibility is to allow delegates to abstain on the first ballot, which might prevent Trump from getting a majority on the first ballot, which would throw open the convention.
As Republican angst about Donald Trump grows closer to panic, some longtime GOP strategists and donors are discussing creative ways to cut their presumptive nominee loose at their convention in July.
There’s renewed talk in some Republican circles to find a way out as Trump lags big time behind Hillary Clinton in several new polls, and he has the highest unfavorable rating of any candidate for a major party on record — 70% in this week’s Washington Post-ABC poll.One source with knowledge of these discussions underscores to CNN, however, that all of the ideas being bandied about now are highly unlikely to see fruition — mostly because this kind of move to get rid of a nominee elected by GOP primary and caucus voters would be unprecedented. And a second source says he has spoken directly to senior GOP operatives with extensive convention experience who are actively exploring how to dump Trump.Still, here are some options they are exploring:
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