Some 48 percent of Republican insiders believe violence is likely to break out at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, according to the
Politico caucus poll results.
The Politico Caucus — a panel of swing-state operatives, activists, and strategists — were asked whether they believe the GOP convention would be mostly peaceful or if there would be a good chance for violence.
The results show:
- 52 percent believe the convention would be mostly peaceful;
- 48 percent believe violence could break out at the convention.
"Given the tenor of the campaign trail so far this year, coupled with rising social unrest, it is bound to spill over," said one Iowa Republican. "It's really more a matter of how bad it will get."
Politico caucus members answered the survey questions anonymously.
A North Carolina Republican agreed, saying, "The reaction and counter-reaction to the resurgent identity politics gripping the country's politics make at least some clashes and mayhem a near certainty."
One Republican from Ohio predicted GOP opponents would cause unrest.
"The far-left agitators in Cleveland will make the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago look like a fourth-grade slap-fight," the Ohio Republican said, referring to a convention protest in which police deployed tear gas and mace on crowds of protesters, according to
CNN.
Another Iowa Republican said, "Someone is gonna get hurt," citing "professional lefty protesters and anarchists" that are in town for the convention.
However, one Colorado Republican believed that violence is not likely. Many of the protesters are paid college students and "at the end of the day, most of them are college kids who won't have an appetite for an actual confrontation with the considerable law enforcement here."
Trump's rhetoric bears some responsibility for the possibility of chaos, one Ohio Republican said. "Tensions are high. Trump is explosive."
FBI Director James Comey said the potential for violence is there, according to
USA Today. "It's a threat we're watching very, very carefully," Comey said.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told a House panel he was concerned, but federal officials have been planning for the event for a year. "There will be a lot of security and a lot of preparation," Johnson said, reports USA Today.
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