In response to NBC News reporting that the Vermont Republican Party’s own rules bar them from supporting Donald Trump, DNC Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman issued the following statement:

“Trump’s having a really bad week, and it just got worse. After nominating Donald Trump to be their candidate, despite his extreme and unpopular agenda that would hurt Vermonters, the Vermont Republican Party remembered one crucial clause of their platform: a rule against supporting or promoting a convicted felon for public office. We already knew Donald Trump was a threat to the American people and our democracy, but according to the Vermont GOP’s own rules, Donald Trump isn’t even eligible to receive their support. We look forward to the Vermont Republican Party supporting Joe Biden this November – the only candidate with a path to 270 that has not been convicted of a felony.”

According to the Vermont GOP’s FIRST candidate restriction (found in Rule 16), their state committee is barred from supporting convicted felons, a blow to recently convicted felon Donald Trump.

NBC News: “Vermont GOP rules bar it from promoting any candidate who is a ‘convicted felon’

“The Vermont Republican Party is prohibited from backing a candidate with a felony conviction, according to the party’s publicly posted rules.

“That is now a bit of a problem, since the presumptive Republican presidential nominee  was recently convicted on 34 felony counts.

“‘The state committee will not support or promote any candidate for elective office who … is a convicted felon,’ read the rules, which govern everything from party meetings to how delegates must vote at national conventions.

“The Republican National Committee and Paul Dame, chair of the Vermont 

Republican Party, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Vermont GOP: “RULE 16 – CANDIDATE RULE

“1. The state committee will not support or promote any candidate for elective office who:

(a) is a convicted felon;”