The atmosphere that Donald Trump has created in this presidential race has been toxic. His unsubstantiated claims of cheating and the system being rigged gotten his supporters in an uproar.
Thus many GOP officials and delegates have felt the weight of this as Trump supporters are issuing death threats against them.
We already know what happened in Colorado earlier this month. Well it’s also happened in Tennessee and Indiana this month as well.
Here’s Tennessee:
TIMES FREE PRESS – In a sometimes raucous meeting Saturday, state GOP leaders named 14 delegates to this summer’s Republican National Convention as Donald Trump supporters marched outside the building with signs and one predicted a “train wreck” at the July nominating convention.
The heat was on after Darren Morris, Trump’s state director, claimed the state’s Republican “establishment” was trying to “steal” delegates for a convention where no candidates may hit the magic number — 1,237 — needed to cinch the nomination on a first or even a second ballot.
Trump won Tennessee’s presidential preference primary by a 39 percent plurality.
The GOP’s State Executive Committee met as private security guards stood post inside and kept out many nonmembers who were Trump supporters.
Outside, three Metro policemen watched from across the street near their parked squad cars as dozens of Trump delegates protested. Trump supporters warned the Tennessee action is only a prologue of what could occur in 50 states.
State GOP Chairman Ryan Haynes on Saturday told The Tennessean there were even “death threats” from Trump supporters in advance of the committee’s gathering. State GOP Executive Director Brent Leatherwood said one threat, which came over social media, “involved trying to hang people.”
There was no violence, although lots of angry rhetoric and ruffled feathers, as Trump and some Ted Cruz supporters on the committee sought in vain to force revisions of the delegate list.
And in Indiana:
INDY STAR – After expressing reservations about Donald Trump, some of Indiana’s delegates to the Republican national convention say they’ve received threatening messages from a few of the GOP front-runner’s supporters.
The emails warn that the delegates are being watched and imply they could be targeted. Some send ominous wishes to delegates’ families.
Trump’s Indiana campaign called the threats “deplorable.”
Craig Dunn, a delegate and Republican chairman of Indiana’s 4th Congressional District, was among the Trump critics who received the threatening messages.
“You sorry (expletive)!” one email said. “I hope the worst for you and yours!”
Dunn was stunned by the response.
…
One of those delegates, Kyle Babcock, said he’ll support the party’s nominee but has doubts about Trump’s viability in the general election.
“Donald Trump talks about polls, polls, polls,” he said. “That’s been the theme of his campaign. Using that methodology, I’m looking at polls, and that leads me to believe at this point that Donald Trump can’t beat Hillary Clinton.”
Such comments earned him disdain from Trump supporters.
“Wrong side Kyle,” said one email. “Hope the families well. Your name and info was sent to me on a list that is going public. Think before you take a step down the wrong path, the American people want to have faith in your but it looks like a future in hiding is more appealing.”
The email was signed, “The American.”
This is happening all over the country and is a direct result of Trump’s reckless and inappropriate behavior as a presidential candidate. It’s like he’s waging an election jihad instead of actually trying to win fair and square.
How this ends is anybody’s guess at this point, but if Trump doesn’t win the nomination, I’m pretty sure it won’t end well.