Donald Trump’s status as the 2024 frontrunner has remain unchallenged.
But one piece of paper could end Trump’s campaign.
And Donald Trump could not believe this one demand that could kick him off the 2024 ballot.
The Florida primary served as the decisive contest in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 GOP presidential primaries.
Because of Republican National Committee rules Florida is the first primary that features a winner-takes-all delegation model.
Previous contests split the delegates among candidates who reach a certain threshold – usually 15 percent – of the vote.
Winning the Republican nomination requires securing 1,234 delegates in the convention and primary contests.
Florida usually awards 99 delegates which is around eight percent of the total necessary to become the presumptive GOP nominee.
Whoever wins Florida puts themselves on a rocket ship to the general election.
Normally to qualify for the ballot in Florida candidates pay a fee and submit a little over 3,300 signatures.
This year is different.
The Florida Republican Party will require any candidate that wants to appear on the presidential primary ballot to sign a loyalty pledge promising to support the nominee and promising not to run as an independent candidate.
All candidates have until November 30 to sign the loyalty pledge.
“All GOP candidates will have to pledge their loyalty to the eventual Republican nominee to make the March 19 primary, a contest that could tip the balance of the crowded race since Florida’s contest is a winner-take-all primary,” POLITICO exclusively reported.
“The new oath, which includes a promise to ‘endorse’ the GOP nominee and requires a candidate to pledge not to run as an independent or third-party candidate, mirrors language adopted by the Republican National Committee for its first debate,” POLITICO also reported.
Florida GOP officials claim they just want the same loyalty pledge requirements as the Republican National Committee is using as debate qualification criteria.
“We were trying to be consistent with what the debate was requiring,” Republican Party of Florida Vice Chair Evan Power said in an interview with POLITICO. “I don’t think this will come as a surprise.”
The clear target of this move is Donald Trump.
In February Trump refused to commit to endorsing the eventual nominee.
“It would depend,” Trump said at the time. “It would have to depend on who the nominee was.”
The GOP establishment does not want Donald Trump as the nominee under any circumstances.
And if putting an ultimatum before Trump about a loyalty pledge accomplishes that goal the establishment is more than happy to travel down that path.
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