Priebus Rebukes Critics of GOP Nomination Process

Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, defended the methods used to select the Republican presidential nominee, The Hill reports.

"This is a nomination for the Republican Party. If you don't like the party, then sit down," he said.

"The party is choosing a nominee," he said, when explaining how, in an open convention, the delegates would be free to vote for anyone after "fourth or fifth ballot, if it should get to that point."

Priebus discussed convention delegate rules in a radio interview with WTMJ in Wisconsin.

"I don't think major changes are going to take place," he said. "But I don't get to write the rules."

"I'm not in favor of touching the rules," said Priebus and those who jeered the rules during the 2012 convention now want the rules to stay the same.

Priebus said one of the reasons he believed Trump would not run as a third-party candidate is because there are "loser laws" in 44 states that prevent ballot access. "It's a fool's game."

Jennifer Rubin wrote in a Washington Post editorial, "If Trump is the nominee, the party dissolves and Priebus will be presiding over a shell."

Another commentary in The Washington Post discussed Priebus's focus on the race for the Republican nominee. Daniel W. Drezner wrote that claims like these "require many complex layers of defense mechanisms."

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