Hmm…Rules committee member on @MSNBC earlier suggests Trump gets the nod if slightly under 1237. If under 1000, contested convention.
— Caitlin Huey-Burns (@CHueyBurns) April 13, 2016
RNC Rule Committee member Randy Evans said on “Morning Joe” today that if Donald Trump “exceeds 1100” delegates by the time voting is done in the primaries on June 7, “he will become the nominee.” This is short of the 1237 delegates needed to win a majority, but Evans thinks Trump will be able to make up the difference between the end of voting and the beginning of the convention with unpledged delegates and hit the magic number.
He also thinks anything between 1000 and 1100 is a “gray area”; under 1000 and it’s a contested convention.
Watch:
RNC Rules Committee Member Randy Evans tells me on @Morning_Joe Trump needs just 1100 delegates for #GOP nom pic.twitter.com/QlApu08rLF
— Luke Russert (@LukeRussert) April 13, 2016
Transcript:
Here's full quote of #RNC Rules Member Evans–told me Trump can win w 1100 del, >1000=contest, 1000-1100 gray area pic.twitter.com/bk6M8FxmVh
— Luke Russert (@LukeRussert) April 13, 2016
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Evans seemed to backpedal a little after questioning from RealClearPolitics’ Caitlin Huey-Burns, reiterating that 1237 was “not flexible”:
Just got off phone w/ RNC Randy Evans: the 1237 number is NOT flexible, only that if Trump is close, can wrangle enough unbound delegates
— Caitlin Huey-Burns (@CHueyBurns) April 13, 2016
This also suggests, for example, if Trump (or whoever) gets 1236, the convention moves to a second ballot.
— Caitlin Huey-Burns (@CHueyBurns) April 13, 2016
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