'Coming split within Trump’s coalition': Leaders warn key issue threatens MAGA unity
Tempers are flaring in Trumpworld over a key campaign issue that threatens MAGA unity, insiders told the Washington Post Friday.
Former President Donald Trump's advisers are becoming increasingly furious over outside pressure and closed-door infighting has become so hostile that conservative leaders have begun to issue public warnings, sources told the Post.
"In the face of the activist backlash," the Post reports, "Trump’s advisers have barred the press and C-SPAN cameras from next week’s scheduled meetings of the platform committee, a break in tradition that has alarmed some delegates."
The rift Trump's advisers want to hide from view stems from Evangelical's mounting calls to add antiabortion language to the U. S. Constitution in the lead-up to the Republican National Convention, which begins on July 15, the Post reports.
"The escalating behind-the-scenes disagreement over the abortion language has become so tense and acrimonious in recent weeks that some social conservative leaders have issued public warnings of a coming split within Trump’s coalition," the Post reports.
"Others have started to discuss an effort to issue a 'minority report' to the platform at the convention, according to the people involved, who like others for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations."
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External pressure has outraged Trump's advisers who think he should stick to his state-by-state position and annoyed allies who told the Post they expect Evangelicals to walk the line no matter what platform the former president presents.
But Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, issued a warning to Trump in a statement to the Post on Wednesday.
“If the Trump campaign decides to remove national protections for the unborn in the GOP platform, it would be a miscalculation that would hurt party unity and destroy pro-life enthusiasm between now and the election,” she warned.
“We are now just one business day away from the platform committee meeting and no assurances have been made. Instead, every indication is that the campaign will muscle through changes behind closed doors.”
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, a platform committee member, went so far as to call restricted access to the platform committee "un-American."
"I am very concerned about closing down the process,” Perkins reportedly said Thursday. “The Republican Party should not be operating as we point out the left so often does — wanting to silence opposition.”