35,000 Sign Petition for Guns at GOP Convention

A petition that calls for allowing firearms at the GOP convention in July has collected 35,000 signatures as of Sunday – but questions are being raised about the group sponsoring the effort, USA Today reports.

The convention is to be held in Cleveland from July 18-21.

The group, Americans for Responsible Open Carry, doesn't appear anywhere else online and accepts online messages only from networked supporters, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.

The website CNET on Sunday reports the petition may have been started as satire.

According to the Akron Beacon Journal, the Secret Service, along with local, state and federal authorities handles convention security; in 2012, firearms were banned by the Secret Service at the Republican convention in Tampa.

GOP front-runner Donald Trump tells ABC's "This Week" he hasn't yet seen the petition and wants to "read the fine print."

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich haven't commented, USA Today reports.

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