The Virginia Republican Party is requiring presidential primary voters to sign a “statement of affiliation” before they vote March 1, the Richmond Times-dispatch reports.
“My signature below indicates that I am a Republican,” the statement reads, which critics have said amounts to an “oath” or “pledge.”
Opponents of the signed statement, like Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, say it’s an attempt to keep independents and Democrats who support frontrunner Donald Trump from voting in the primary.
The duo, who also go by Diamond and Silk and host a regular YouTube show called “The Viewers View,” ripped the move they say is an effort to keep the party small and in control of the establishment.
“We heard what happened in Virginia, with that David Ramadan,” Hardaway said, “apparently he don’t want Democrats voting in a Republican primary.”
She’s referring to Republican Del. David Ramadan, who launched a Twitter tirade against The Donald, writing, “Our party, our rules; your $$$ and your bullying do not work in the commonwealth. MORON!!”
“You know, your name is Ramadan because you are the moron,” Hardaway said.
“Anytime you don’t want Democrats and independents voting in the primary because they’re not Republicans, what you’re doing is discriminating — especially because this is an open state.
“Virginia is an open state, but you went and made your rules because you don’t want Donald Trump to win the nomination. You’re trying to hijack the party.”
After accusing Ramadan of being a “jackass,” Hardaway pointed viewers to her website, DitchAndSwitch.com, which provides information on how Democrats can change their affiliation in numerous states to vote for Trump in the primary.
“We’re ditching the media bias and the media trickery. We want you to ditch that Democrat plantation — and ditch all of the Democrats — and we want to you switch your party to Republican so that you can vote for Donald Trump in the primary,” Hardaway said in October.
She added, “We wouldn’t be talking about none of this here but the media and all the pundits and the establishment want to start a movement against Trump, it looks like the silent majority is about to start a movement on them.”
The Virginia GOP has denied they’re trying to keep anyone out of the primary.
On its website, the party argues that it “is not an ‘oath’ or ‘pledge’ in any way” and says it “is not targeting any candidate, group of voters or an unreasonable barrier to voting,” CBS reports.
Hardaway and Richards shot to YouTube stardom when the launched a series of videos promoting Donald Trump’s candidacy for president. One of their first videos, in which they criticized Megyn Kelly for her treatment of Trump during the first Republican presidential debate, to date has been viewed over 1.4 million times.
They spoke at a North Carolina Trump campaign rally in early December.
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