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Trump Supporters Win Chaotic Rules Fight

CLEVELAND (CN) - A last-minute attempt by the movement aiming to block Donald Trump from becoming the Republican nominee for president failed Monday, causing moments of chaos at a convention hoping to show a unified party.

Delegates Unbound, a group looking to allow national delegates to the Republican National Convention to vote for the candidate of their choice rather than for the candidate their state backed, attempted to secure support from enough states to allow for an up or down vote from every delegate on the rules to be adopted at the convention.

A change to the rules could have allowed the movement to derail Trump's preordained ride to the Republican nomination but was a long shot to succeed.

After Enid Mickelsen, chair of the Rules Committee, presented the rules to the delegates a rising swell of cheers mounted from the floor and in the stands so those looking to block changes to the rules could win a voice vote to keep the old rules.

Votes like these are normally procedural and are done by a voice vote, with the group that shouts the loudest winning the vote.

When Womack asked for those against the rules to voice their opposition, a shout that seemingly rivaled that of the proponents of the rules rose from the red-carpeted floor of Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland.

Despite the seemingly close nature of the vote, Rep. Steve Womack, the temporary chair asking for the yays and nays, decided in favor of the supporters of the rules, causing a loud and sustained chorus of boos to fill the arena.

Cheers and chants mixed with the boos in a cacophony that made it impossible to distinguish between those in favor of the move to quash the revolt and those opposed to it.

Earlier in the day it appeared the delegates holding out against Trump had enough support to force a lengthy roll call vote on the rules. Dane Waters of Delegates Unbound claimed 11 states were supporting a resolution to tally individual delegates' votes.

"It goes back to, if Donald Trump is the only horse in the race, it's very interesting how every single thing they're doing is to ensure that the delegates can't vote their conscience," Waters told a horde of reporters in the arena before the initial voice vote.

After a chaotic few minutes where nobody stood at the podium at the center of the convention, Womack eventually returned to the silver and black stage and heard from a delegate from Utah who officially offered a resolution to force a roll call vote.

After the delegate offered the resolution, Womack told the chaotic convention floor that three states had pulled their support of the roll call resolution, leaving "insufficient support" for the resolution and effectively signaling the end of the Republican insurgency against Trump.

Shouts and boos again came from the arena floor, along with chants of "we want Trump" and "roll call vote."

Sen. John Barrasso eventually came to the podium to announce a vote to adopt the Republican Party platform and quelled the unrest on the floor by asking the delegates if they were proud Americans.

Still, even after the delegates came together to adopt the platform, the occasional chant of "roll call vote" came from the corners of the arena occasionally before the convention broke for the evening.

Photo caption:

Delegates react as some delegates call for a roll call vote on the adoption of the rules during the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Monday, July 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Photo caption 2:

A delegate shouts as a call for a roll call vote on the rules goes out during the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Monday, July 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Photo caption 3:

Delegates react as some delegates call for a roll call vote on the adoption of the rules during the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Monday, July 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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