Will there be a last-ditch effort to unseat Donald Trump at the convention?


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Even though the Republican National Convention is officially underway, with presumptive party nominee Donald Trump all set to be coronated, there's a sliver of hope for the remaining #NeverTrump voters in Cleveland: Republicans looking to stage an anti-Trump coup have acquired enough signatures to force a ballot on convention rules, Politico reports.
The last hope for #NeverTrump holdouts lies in a technicality — that is, delegates haven't officially voted for Trump as the GOP nominee yet. The reason it's "presumptive" is because enough people in enough states voted for Trump in the Republican primary contest, theoretically binding enough delegates to mark their ballots for Trump at the convention and grant him the nomination.
Except, of course, if anti-Trump warriors can change the GOP rules. Last Thursday, the rules committee of the Republican National Committee rejected a proposal to do just that; Colorado delegate Kendal Unruh, an outspoken #NeverTrump supporter, led the charge to enable "votes of conscience" that would free Trump-bound delegates from voting for the mogul if it went against their personal morals. And despite a ruling last week by a federal judge that freed Trump-bound delegates in Virginia to vote with their consciences, such delegates are still bound by party rules.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But if this new initiative — forced to the floor after anti-Trump Republicans gathered a sufficient number of signatures to necessitate a vote on convention rules — succeeds, the stipulation that pledged delegates vote according to their state's election results could be abandoned in favor of a "conscience" vote, which many interpret as freeing Trump-bound delegates from actually voting for him. And while it's "highly unlikely" the #NeverTrump faction actually wins the rules vote, Politico notes, the rebel delegates "hope to… prove what they've long claimed: that a significant section of the party still doesn't support the presumptive nominee."
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
Guide to Sedona, Arizona
A sanctuary for nature lovers, Sedona offers a relaxing escape
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Is 'The Office' coming back? What we know about a rumored reboot.
Under the Radar The classic NBC sitcom may soon be returning
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
What Slovakia's pro-Russia election result means for Ukraine
Speed Read The victory of former Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico's populist Smer party has raised concerns of waning support for Kyiv in Western democracies
By Peter Weber Published
-
Dianne Feinstein, history-making Democratic US senator, dies at 90
The Explainer Her colleagues celebrate her legacy as a trailblazer who cleared the path for other women to follow
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Will the cannabis banking bill get the Senate's green light?
Talking Point The SAFER Banking Act is advancing to the US Senate for the first time, clearing a major hurdle for legal cannabis businesses. Does it stand a chance?
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Biden creates White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
Speed Read The office will be led by Vice President Kamala Harris
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Rishi Sunak lambasts China after allegations of spy in UK Parliament
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Judge denies Mark Meadows' request to move Georgia case to federal court
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson dies at 75
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Clarence Thomas officially discloses trips from billionaire GOP donor
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Judge schedules Trump federal election plot trial for crowded March 2024
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published