“This is the Republican convention in the third district of Georgia, south and west of Atlanta, where many Donald Trump supporters say the fix was in," stated CNN reporter Gary Tuchman. Tuchman’s report came during Monday’s Anderson Cooper 360, where he was covering what happens during the election of state delegates. The report didn’t even try to be balanced and ultimately painted the process and delgates as shady and unethical.
The CNN report centered around two newly elected Donald Trump Delegates Dale Jackson and Denise Ognio and brought their motives into question. “As the two of them sign papers officially committing themselves to Trump, they have also committed themselves to abandoning Trump for Ted Cruz, as soon as possible! So why and how is that happening,” Tuchman began his report.
The fact is it was obvious they were a part of Cruz’s extensive ground game in the state, Tuchman claimed he had found “clear evidence” of who they supported, as if it was a slip up. “Fliers were passed out that stated “please vote for Ted Cruz delegates” and it listed the names Dale Jackson and Denise Ognio.” When questioned by convention goers before the voting started Ognio informed the crowd she was a Cruz supporter, while Jackson said he supported “limited government, conservative principles,” both were elected anyway.
Tuchman seemed to try and play to the anger of Trump supporters saying “Trump supporters might not like it, but it's totally within the rules … Dale Jackson and Denise Ognio are obligated to vote for Trump. But if it goes past a first ballot, bye-bye Trump.” Tuchman continued by drawing parallels to the delegate allocation process to a marriage proposal, “if the voting in Cleveland goes into a second round, they will do the political equivalent of leaving Donald Trump at the altar.”
A step may have been taken too far when Tuchman questioned the pair’s ethics. “So do either of you have any ethical issues at all with not voting for Donald Trump after the first ballot, as Donald Trump delegates?”
During the panel discussion two of Cooper’s guests defended Jackson, Ognio, and the process. Political pundits Mike Shields and Kevin Madden both pointed out that the Cruz supporters getting elected are not party insiders. They are grassroots activists energized enough to go to delegate election meetings and run for those positions, according to the two.
When questioned by Cooper about the delegate’s plans if Trump gets the nomination Tuchman says, “So if Donald Trump gets the nomination, they say they are loyal Republicans and they will follow the Republican flag bearer.”
Transcript below:
CNN
Anderson Cooper 360
April 18, 2016
8:17:41 PM EasternANDERSON COOPER: Donald Trump speaking right now in Buffalo. We’ve been talking about his beef with the Republican Party over rules allowing a primary day loser a second shot at the delegates from that contest.
Now those rules and the Cruz campaign’s success at making the most of them are driving him up a wall. And that's pretty clear. What's also clear is that the party has little patience for his complaints saying he should have known how the system works. The rules have been in place for a long time. As interesting as all the back and forth has been however, we thought you'd also like to see up close what all the fuss is about. How it works.
So tonight Gary Tuchman takes us straight to the front-lines in the ground war for delegates.
[Cuts to video]
GARY TUCHMAN: Katie Frost has just been elected as a Ted Cruz delegate. Dale Jackson and Denise Ognio will also be going to the Republican national convention. But as Donald Trump delegates. However, as the two of them sign papers officially committing themselves to Trump, they have also committed themselves to abandoning Trump for Ted Cruz, as soon as possible! So why and how is that happening?
ANNOUNCER: Congratulations to Katie Frost, Denise Ognio, and Dale Jackson. They will represent us at the national convention in Cleveland.
TUCHMAN: This is the Republican convention in the third district of Georgia, south and west of Atlanta, where many Donald Trump supporters say the fix was in.
CONVENTION ATTENDEE1: Now you may say it wasn't determined before we got here. But that's not true.
TUCHMAN: Donald Trump won the Georgia primary in March and he won Georgia's third congressional district. So according to the rule he automatically gets two delegates. Ted Cruz, who came in second, gets one. And this is the day that more than 200 active Republicans from the district elect the actual people who will be those delegates.
Sounds simple enough, but things were not so simple early in the day when it came to selecting the Trump delegates. Listen to what Denise Ognio says at the end of this exchange before she was selected as a Trump delegate.
CONVENTION ATTENDEE 2: What campaign did you work for?
DENISE OGNIO: I worked for a lot of campaigns. You're asking do I support Ted Cruz, and I do.
TUCHMAN: A Trump delegate but a Cruz supporter. And then the other winning Trump delegate Dale Jackson was asked if he supported Ted Cruz.
DALE JACKSON: I support limited government, conservative principles.
TUCHMAN: But clear evidence he supports Cruz was easy it find. Fliers were passed out that stated “please vote for Ted Cruz delegates” and it listed the names Dale Jackson and Denise Ognio. Who were later elected as Trump delegates. This man is a Trump supporter.
TRUMP SUPPORTER: The voters voted in the majority for Donald Trump. And knowingly sending Ted Cruz supporters up there is-- I think is wrong.
TUCHMAN: He and other Trump supporters might not like it, but it's totally within the rules. And Ted Cruz's campaign knows how to play them. Aggressively recruiting supporters to turn out for the conventions held in congressional districts throughout Georgia. Dale Jackson and Denise Ognio are obligated to vote for Trump. But if it goes past a first ballot, bye-bye Trump.
What will it be like voting for Donald Trump and Ted Cruz will most likely still be fighting for president of the United States? How will that make you feel honestly?
JACKSON: I mean that's the rules. I will follow the rules.
TUCHMAN: But how will that make you feel?
JACKSON: I’m—I know that know that there is going to be a second vote.
TUCHMAN: So rules are rules. And Donald Trump will get two votes from these newly elected delegates. But if the voting in Cleveland goes into a second round, they will do the political equivalent of leaving Donald Trump at the altar.
So do either of you have any ethical issues at all with not voting for Donald Trump after the first ballot, as Donald Trump delegates?
JACKSON: Absolutely not.
OGNIO: No.
[Cuts back to studio]
COOPER: It's fascinating to see this, Gary. Do those two Trump delegates, who are really Cruz supporters, do they say they will support his campaign if he does get the nomination? If Trump actually gets the nomination will they support his campaign?
TUCHMAN: Well I understand, they are obviously not fans of Donald Trump, but they do not want Hillary Clinton to become president of the United States. So if Donald Trump gets the nomination, they say they are loyal Republicans and they will follow the Republican flag bearer.
