CLEVELAND, Ohio—Donald Trump was formally declared the Republican presidential nominee on Tuesday evening at the Republican National Convention, despite some delegates opposing his nomination.
A handful of delegates unsuccessfully attempted to direct their votes to other candidates despite GOP officials declaring them bound to Trump, while others abstained from the roll call vote altogether. The proceedings followed a tense scene on Monday during which delegates unsuccessfully attempted to force a recorded vote on convention rules that could have freed them to vote for a candidate other than Trump.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.), the convention chairman, was prepared for disorder ahead of Tuesday evening’s proceedings.
"I wish to remind our delegates, our alternates, and guests that maintaining order during the roll call is extremely important," he cautioned the crowd before allowing Sen. Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.), a vocal Trump backer, to formally nominate the candidate to become the GOP nominee.
At the start of the state-by-state roll call, Alaska tried to cast 12 votes for Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas), 11 for Trump, and five for Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) given the results of the state’s caucuses. The convention secretary denied the request, ruling that all 28 votes go to Trump. The decision was met with resistance, with one Alaska delegate refusing to accept the ruling.
Following the nomination process, the delegate accused the secretary of "misrecording" the result when given the opportunity to object by Paul Ryan. He said that the votes were pursuant to Alaska caucus rules and requested a poll of the delegation.
Ryan yielded to RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, who explained that the votes were "reallocated" to Trump because the other candidates dropped out of the race. Ryan then reaffirmed that the 28 votes would go to Trump.
Two Colorado delegates abstained from the roll call in protest, while 31 delegates from the state cast votes for Cruz and four went with Trump.
Later, the District of Columbia delegation drew boos from the crowd when it cast 10 votes for Rubio and nine for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, despite all of the delegates being bound to vote for Trump. They were overruled by the convention secretary, who awarded all 19 votes to Trump.
The Michigan delegation initially "passed" on its roll call vote. However, the decision was viewed as an effort to allow the delegates from New York, Trump’s home state, to vault him over the 1,237 delegate hurdle to capture the nomination. Trump’s son Donald Trump, Jr., a New York delegate, celebrated the news.
"It’s my honor to throw Donald Trump over the top tonight with 89 delegates," he said. "Congratulations, dad. We love you."
Ryan later formally declared Trump and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence the Republican presidential and vice presidential nominees ahead of the evening’s speaker program focusing on jobs and the economy.
Pro-Trump Republicans on Monday thwarted an effort by dissenters from several states to change party rules, which mandate that delegates vote for the candidate who won their respective state’s primary or caucus. The dissenting delegates were physically and verbally intimidated by allies of Trump over the effort, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Trump has put forth controversial policy proposals, including some that critics describe as out of step with traditional Republican ideals, and routinely makes off the cuff remarks that draw ire.
Some leading Republicans, including Paul Ryan, were slow to embrace Trump as the presumptive Republican nominee even after he captured the required number of delegates to clinch the nomination in May. Others such as Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee, have refused to support him altogether.
The GOP convention got off to a rocky start for the Trump campaign on Monday. Aides spent the morning deflecting controversy following Monday’s speaker program on national security during which Melania Trump delivered remarks that plagiarized parts of Michelle Obama’s speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
The campaign rejected the accusations of plagiarism, suggesting Hillary Clinton was behind the attacks. Clinton will be formally declared the Democratic nominee next week in Philadelphia.