GOP Leaders Plot Open Convention To Prevent Trump Nomination

After failing to halt the ascent of Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump during the primary election season, establishment party leaders are now looking toward an open convention in July in the hopes of blocking his nomination.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday acknowledged increasing chances that the party will be facing an “open convention,” noting the ongoing opposition posed against Trump by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Without a clear-cut nominee, the party would have to resort to a floor battle to pick one.

Per CBS News:

“Nothing’s changed, other than the perception that this is more likely to become an open convention than we thought before,” Ryan told reporters Thursday. “So we’re getting our minds around the idea that this could very well become a reality, and therefore those of us involved in the convention need to respect that.”

Ryan, who said that he hadn’t known when taking on the role of House speaker that it required him to co-chair the party’s convention, promised to be “neutral” when overseeing the delegate summit.

“My goal is to be dispassionate, and to be Switzerland,” he said, adding that he would “make sure that the rule of law prevails.”

Ryan condemned Trump’s warning earlier this week that riots could break out if there is a contested convention, saying violence is unacceptable.

AL.com breaks down the meaning of a contested convention below:

If the first round of balloting occurs and those uncommitted delegates are enough to swing the nomination to a candidate, then that person is your nominee.

If that’s still not enough to select a nominee, a brokered convention takes place. Requirements for delegates differ from state to state, with some requiring them to be committed only for the first ballot and others for as many as three rounds of voting.

If the GOP can’t decide on a nominee in the first ballot, those newly uncommitted delegates aren’t limited by the popular vote in their home state and, in most cases, can vote for whatever candidate they like. There’s plenty of wheeling and dealing that would go on as candidates try to woo these delegates in hopes of capturing the nomination.

Seems to us like this is too little, too late. What do you think? Sound off in the comments.

SOURCE: CBS NewsAL.com | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty | VIDEO CREDIT: Inform

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