GOING NOWHERE

Trump Campaign Launches ‘Aggressive’ Effort to Stop 2020 GOP Challenge

State-by-state operation aims to ensure only pro-Trump activists make it to the convention.

Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign has begun a state-by-state operation to monitor and influence local party operations to help prevent a damaging Republican primary challenge, AP reports. Bill Stepien, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, said the effort is a “process of ensuring that the national convention is a television commercial for the president for an audience of 300 million and not an internal fight.” The campaign is reportedly using endorsements, lobbying, and rule changes to ensure only pro-Trump activists are at the nominating convention in August 2020. “We have a constant focus on tracking everything regarding this process,” Stepien said. “Who’s running, what their level of support for the president is, and what their vote counts are.” Trump’s team will back pro-Trump leaders and potential delegates at county and state caucuses and conventions over the next 18 months and, ahead of the convention, it wants to have complete control of the convention agenda. Trump aides have reportedly said it’s the most aggressive effort ever launched to protect a sitting president.

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