Threatened delegate now endorsing Trump

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – It was just a few weeks ago that Indiana 3rd Congressional District Republican delegate Kyle Babcock got a threatening email for not supporting Donald Trump, but now he’s endorsing the presumptive Republican nominee.

“It was kind of crazy getting an email threatening me,” Babcock said. “It was really disappointing that somebody would stoop to that level.”

At the time, he was leaning towards John Kasich. He called Trump his third choice and said he was not electable.

Now, he’s impressed with how Trump beat out 16 opponents to become the party’s presumptive nominee.

“He outlasted the other candidates,” Babcock said. “It’s almost like an episode of Survivor. Donald Trump was the survivor at the end.”

Babcock said his good friend and GOP mentor Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts influenced his decision during a phone call last week. Ricketts only called him to chat, but during the call he let Babcock know that he was going to endorse Trump. Babcock figured if one of his party elders was doing it, then he would too.

“If Governor Ricketts can endorse Donald Trump, I’m certainly a team player and I will endorse and support Donald Trump completely,” he said.

Babcock is asking all his fellow party members to unite, though some of his party’s biggest names are not backing Trump.

“One of the things that I was really disappointed in is I’ve heard Mitt Romney and the Bush’s have said they’re not going to vote for Donald Trump,” he said. “I know Jeb Bush. I worked for Mitt Romney in 2012. They’re great people. I’m a little disappointed that they’re not stepping up and endorsing Donald Trump like the rest of them.”

Babcock said while Trump has said some controversial things in his primary campaign, he believes Trump may refine some of those statements for the general election. He is fine with Trump as the nominee.

“I was never a ‘never Trump’ person,” he said. “So consequently, I said that I would always support the nominee of the Republican Party and it looks like Donald Trump is our presumptive nominee and I will support Donald Trump 100 percent.”

Babcock said he’s still waiting for the official certificate of who won Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District. He said there’s a chance it may be Ted Cruz. In that case, he’s required to vote for Cruz in the first round of voting at the Republican National Convention. If the convention goes to a second round of voting, he says he’ll vote Trump.