Donald Trump's Republican foes are launching an ad campaign to deny him the GOP nomination
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On Thursday, an Iowa radio station will air the first ad from a group of Republicans aiming to deny Donald Trump the GOP presidential nomination at July's Republican National Convention. That ad, which The Wall Street Journal has a copy of for your listening pleasure, is financed by Courageous Conservatives PAC, a super PAC run by Ted Cruz supporter Steve Lonegan, who narrates the spot. Another slate of ads will run nationally on cable TV this weekend, from a group organized by political activest Eric O’Keefe.
The Lonegan ad targets Steve Schleffler, a member of the Republican National Committee and the convention's rule committee. "Schleffler is trying to force Republican delegates to vote for Donald Trump and threatening those who find that vote to be morally offensive," Lonegan says in the ad, which lists Schleffler's phone number and urges people to call it. "Normally, our delegates would ratify the primary winner. But this is one of those times when the delegates need to be free to vote their conscience."
Scheffler, when contacted by The Wall Street Journal, was not impressed. "If these people think they are going to intimidate me, that ain't gonna happen," he said. "These people are a bunch of bullies. I'm not going to go against the will of the people from across this country."
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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