Cuccinelli: Trump Camp Threatened To Take Iowa's First In Nation Status
CLEVELAND – Ken Cuccinelli, the former attorney general of Virginia and a major proponent of the stop Trump movement, claimed that the Republican establishment "cheated" Monday afternoon when it refused to give delegates a roll call vote on a convention rule that would have allowed delegates to cast a ballot for whoever they wanted on the convention floor.
In an interview with reporters on the convention floor Monday night, Cuccinelli accused the Trump campaign of threatening states that were pushing for the vote and went as far as to threaten to take away that state of Iowa's "first in the nation status," if the state delegation supported the move.
"They were threatening people. They did it in Virginia. They did it in Washington. They did it in D.C. They did it in Maryland. They did in Iowa," Cuccinelli said. "They threatened Iowa. ... The Trump campaign [said] 'we'll take away your first in the nation status."
Cuccinelli said Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann told him about the threat.
"Jeff Kaufmann told me that. Jeff Kaufmann said 'we're gonna loose our
first in the nation status. He came over here to harangue me," Cuccinelli said.
Jeff Kaufmann and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
While the Trump campaign had tried to downplay the floor scuffle on Monday afternoon, a roll call vote on the rule would have been deeply embarrassing and more clearly revealed the schism in the GOP.
Connect With Us