GOP not in partying mood for Cleveland

Republicans won’t be in a partying mood when they gather in Cleveland next week to nominate Donald Trump for president. GOP aides and lobbyists say there has been a big drop-off in invitations, compared with past presidential conventions, with many establishment Republicans and corporations shunning the event.

“I just had a meeting with prominent political Republicans, and they were all in the same boat in saying, ‘Four years ago, eight years ago at this point in time you would have received ton of invitations for different things. This time I’ve gotten none,’ ” said a Republican strategist for a major trade association.

The angry populist wave that fueled Trump’s rise has scared corporations away from Cleveland, with many afraid to associate their brands with his controversial — and unpredictable — style of politics.

The shooting of 12 police officers, five fatally, during a protest in Dallas last week underscored for many Republicans and potential corporate sponsors the possibility for unrest in Cleveland.

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http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/287308-gop-not-in-partying-mood-for-cleveland