Republican panel leaves anti-Trump move gasping for breath

CLEVELAND (AP) — The struggle by conservatives for an eleventh-hour derailment of Donald Trump’s drive to the Republican presidential nominee is gasping for breath after a committee at the Republican National Convention resoundingly rejected their push to let delegates support the candidate of their choice.

The convention’s rules committee, dominated by Trump backers and top national and state GOP officials, used a voice vote late Thursday to reject the proposal, a result that was expected.

A series of related votes underscored the 112-member panel’s one-sided opposition to the conservatives’ drive, and it appeared uncertain whether its backers could gather enough support to force the full convention to revisit the proposal when it convenes Monday. Foes said they believed the movement was essentially finished.

“It was never real, it was always overblown,” said Ron Kaufman, a party leader from Massachusetts after Thursday’s late-night vote. “They were never there.”

More