Trump team flips four GOP delegations to avoid last-minute floor fight

CLEVELAND — Donald Trump’s campaign operation isn’t known for its organizational prowess, but they executed a last-minute whip operation that spared the presumptive GOP nominee an embarrassing and time-consuming vote on the first day of the Republican National Convention.

An anti-Trump faction of delegates wanted the convention to be allowed to consider alternative rules for the convention, as a first step toward allowing to vote for president based on their personal preferences rather than vote for the person who won their respective home states. That would have opened the door to delegates spurning Trump and choosing another nominee at the last-minute.