Colorado delegates to RNC include Republicans who led an anti-Trump revolt 8 years ago
Colorado's Republican delegation cast all 37 of its votes for Donald Trump on opening day of the Republican National Convention, helping him secure the GOP nomination for president.
Their support of the former president is a far cry from the reception Colorado Republicans gave Trump eight years ago when he first secured the party's nomination. The state's GOP delegation drew national attention in 2016 when it led an anti-Trump rebellion that, if successful, would have cost Trump the nomination.
This year, many of those dissidents are delegates once again, and are among Trump's biggest supporters.
Libby Szabo has been a Colorado delegate for every RNC since 2012. She voted for Ted Cruz at the 2016 convention and is now on the Trump train.
"I haven't seen the Republican party this unified in a long time. Today just showed that," she said.
For the first time in 40 years, Republicans approved a party platform that doesn't include a federal ban on abortion. Instead, it embraces Trump's leave-it-to-states approach.
Trump's grip on the party has not only tightened over the last eight years, but last 48 hours.
"I think the election was won on Saturday," says CBS Colorado Republican analyst Dick Wadhams. "The way he stood up and pumped his fist in the air and defiantly so."
Wadhams says Trump's show of strength after being shot is reminiscent of former President Ronald Reagan's reaction after he was shot in 1981.
"You think back to that moment with Ronald Reagan, and it totally changed his presidency. Saturday changed Trump's campaign and potentially his presidency," Wadhams said.
Trump now says his acceptance speech will focus on unity.
Szabo says security at the 2024 RNC is the tightest she's seen at a convention.
"Sometimes the election goes one way and sometimes it goes another way and we've all lived through that. There's no reason for violence."
She says the shooting was a reminder of the importance of having a strong vice president. She says delegates are excited about Trump's running mate: Ohio Senator JD Vance.
Eight years ago, Trump chose Mike Pence as an olive branch to evangelicals. The campaign is hoping JD Vance will help with blue collar voters in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, who went for Obama in 2012, Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020.
