Analysis

Anti-Trump Delegates Don’t Have the Numbers

Most of the delegates who write the rules for the Republican Party’s nomination are opposed to a change.

A last-ditch attempt to take the Republican presidential nomination away from Donald Trump does not appear to have the numbers.

Politico reports that only a minority of the 112 delegates who will write the rules for the party’s nominating convention in July are sympathetic to the bid.

Most want to keep the rules as they are, which bind delegates to the popular vote in their district or state.

1,542 delegates are pledged to support Trump. A majority of 1,237 are needed to claim the nomination.

Fears

Eric Minor, a delegate from Washington state who has become a point person in the effort to block Trump’s nomination, told Politico delegates were “frightened” to oppose the property tycoon. “They’re being threatened by their state party chairs,” he said.

The party is hesitant to overturn the will of primary voters, fearful of a pro-Trump revolt.

But many elected Republicans are also afraid of the damage Trump will do to their party in November.

His outrageous remarks — from suggesting the judge in a court case against him is unqualified because of his “Mexican heritage” to insinuating that President Barack Obama sympathizes with Islamic terrorists — have already damaged Trump’s popularity with general-election voters. His nativist platform has scared away racial minorities. His disparaging remarks about women are unlikely to endear him to half the voters.

Polls suggest Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate to succeed Barack Obama next year, would beat Trump decisively.