Re-upping: Rick Gates details how Trump, RNC power player Katie Walsh led talks to remove Trump from the ballot in 2016
The effort to deny Trump the nomination was more extensive than previously reported -- went beyond just Access Hollywood weekend. (Lots of details here - Gates says he has more coming in his book out in October)
Gates went on-record for this story with a lot of details that others have been chatting about in private for years now
Walsh and her lawyer say it never happened. Lawyer James Wareham filed a cease-and-desist request, sent threatening text messages in effort to stop this story. The full read is here. Sub required. It's worth it. businessinsider.com/katie-walsh-le…
To the question of why write about something that happened in 2016 now -- GOP sources have long noted that Katie Walsh and husband Mike Shields are powerful players in the expansive world of Trump's re-election
Walsh and Shields formed a close alliance with Brad Parscale, as detailed in this story. But that hold on power is now tenuous, Trump advisers noted, with Parscale's demotion last month
Looking down the road a bit -- this dynamic, of which alliances will dominate the GOP for the 2024 cycle, looms large. The '24 race starts in earnest on Nov. 4 (or after election results are known)
