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SCVOTES.ORG TODAY, SOME -- SC VOTES.ORG. >> TODAY, SOME CONSERVATIVES ANNOUNCED THAT THEY’RE ENCOURAGING REPUBLICANS ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA TO VOTE FOR BERNIE SANDERS IN THIS SATURDAY’S DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY. RENEE WUNDERLICH SPOKE WITH THEM AND SHE IS JOINING US IN THE STUDIO. >> YOU MAY REMEBER A FEW WEEKS AGO WHEN WE SPOKE WITH A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN BEHIND A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT CALLED TRUMP WELL TODAY IN GREENVILLE, 229. OTHER ACTIVISTS, ONE IN THE TEA PARTY THE FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE , ONE, GREENVILLE COUNTY REPUBLICANS ANNOUNCED A SIMILAR MOVEMENT WITH A SIMILAR MESSAGE. WE ARE ASKING FOR REPUBLICANS AND TRUMP SUPPORTERS ALL ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA TO VOTE FOR SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS. >> AS AN EFFORT TO PROTEST OPEN PRIMARIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA, CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS ARE URGING REPUBLICANS TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS. SOUTH CAROLINA DOES NOT REGISTER VOTERS BY PARTY AND HOLDS OPEN PRIMARIES, MEANING ANYONE OF ANY POLITICAL AFFILIATION OR NO PARTY AT ALL CAN CAST A BALLOT. WITH WINS IN IOWA, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND NEVADA, SANDERS COUL POSSIBLY WIN IN SOUTH CAROLINA. I ASKED THE FORMER GREENVILLE COUNTY GOP CHAIRMAN ABOUT HIS BACKFIRE FOR THE CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS AND SENATOR SANDERS BEATS PRESIDENT TRUMP IN NOVEMBER. >> I BELIEVE THAT OUR NATION WILL REJECT SOCIALISM. I CANNOT SAY THERE IS NO REST. ANY TIME YOU HAVE AN ELECTION THERE IS A RISK BUT I THINK , WE’LL HAVE AN OVERWHELMING AND RESOUNDING VICTORY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP. AND IF WE CAN’T DEFEAT A SOCIALIST HERE IN 2020, WE WOULDN’T DESERVE THE FREEDOMS THAT WE HAVE. I’M CONFIDENT THAT DONALD TRUMP WILL PREVAIL. GREENVILLE >> -- WILL PREVAIL. >> GREENVILLE COUNTY’S CURRENT CHAIR OF THE GOP SAYS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY SUPPORTS CLOSED PRIMARIES, AND THOUGHT ABOUT POSSIBLY DOING A CROSS-VOTING PUSH. BUT GREENVILLE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS NOT INVOLVED IN OPERATION CHAOS 2020 OR IN A SIMILAR GRASSROOTS EFFORT, CALLED TRUMP BOTH MOVEMENTS ARE ENCOUAGING 229, REPUBLICANS TO VOTE SATURDAY FOR SANDERS. >> THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS NOT ENCOURAGING VOTERS TO CROSS-PARTY VOTE. WE UNDERSTAND SOME OF OUR AFFILIATES AND MEMBERS AND FRIENDS ARE AND WE UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC BEHIND IT. BUT FROM A PARTY STANDPOINT, WE FEEL THAT THAT PUSH IS BEST LEFT TO THE ACTIVISTS LIKE THE TRUMP 2-29 ORGANIZATION. THE -- TRUMP 229 ORGANIZATION. >> THE GREENVILLE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY RELEASED THIS STATEMENT THAT READS, IN PART, IN CALLING FOR VOTERS TO SELECT A SPECIFIC CANDIDATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISRUPTING SATURDAY’S PRIMARY, OPERATION CHAOS 2020 IS ENGAGING IN INTERFERENCE IN A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION. THEY ARE UNDERMINING AND DISHONORING THE VERY RIGHT TO FRANCHISE THAT THEY CLAIM TO WANT TO PROTECT. I ALSO REACHED OUT THE SANDERS CAMPAIGN. BERNIE 2020 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE DIRECTOR JESSICA BRIGHT SENT IN A STATEMENT THAT READS IN PART, QUOTE, RECENT REPORTS HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT DONALD TRUMP AND THE REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AFRAID TO RUN AGAINST BERNIE SANDERS GOING

Advertisement Conservative Republican activists launch 'Operation Chaos 2020' to protest open primaries Second grassroots movement calling for closed primaries encourages Donald Trump supporters to vote for Bernie Sanders Share Shares Copy Link Copy

As an effort to protest open primaries in South Carolina, conservative activists are urging Republicans to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders. South Carolina does not register voters by party, and holds open primaries, meaning anyone of any political affiliation - or no party at all - can cast a ballot. "We are calling for specifically for Republicans and Trump supporters all across South Carolina to turn out and vote for Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary on Saturday," said Stephen Brown, conservative activist, of Operation Chaos 2020,With wins in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, Sanders could possibly win South Carolina.WYFF4's Renée Wunderlich asked Brown, the former chairman of the Greenville County Republican Party, about his thoughts should 'Operation Chaos 2020's strategy backfire for the conservative activists, and Sen. Sanders beats President Donald Trump in November."I believe that our nation will reject socialism - I can't say there's no risk, any time you have an election there's a risk - but I think we'll have an overwhelming and resounding victory for President Trump. And if we can't defeat a socialist here in 2020, we wouldn't deserve the freedoms that we have. I'm confident that Donald Trump will prevail," said Brown. "We see things happening behind the scenes to help undo Bernie's nomination, so we as Republicans think that there's a very reasonable chance that Democrats might deny the nomination to Bernie Sanders, and if they were to do that, we believe it would enrage the left, cause the Democratic Party to split and only help Donald Trump in his reelection because I want to be clear; all of us are fully supporting Donald Trump in his reelection. We're excited about that. We can't wait to vote for Donald Trump in November." Greenville County's current chair of the GOP said the Republican Party supports closed primaries and thought about possibly doing a cross-voting push, but that theparty is not involved in Operation Chaos 2020 or in a similar grassroots effort, called Trump 2-29. Both movements are encouraging Republicans to vote Saturday for Sanders. "The Republican Party is not encouraging voters to cross-party vote," said Nate Leupp, chairman of the Greenville County Republican Party. "We understand some of our affiliates and members and friends are and we understand the logic behind it. But from a party standpoint, we feel that that push is best left to the activists like the Trump 2-29 organization."Organizers with both Operation Chaos 2020 and Trump 2-29 say they are separate movements, but they share the same goal.The Greenville County Democratic Party released this statement following Operation Chaos 2020's announcement regarding Sanders, written by Kate Franch, chair of the Greenville County Democratic Party:In calling for voters to select a specific candidate for the purpose of disrupting Saturday's primary, Operation Chaos 2020 is engaging in interference in a free and fair election. They are undermining and dishonoring the very right to franchise that they claim to want to protect. Elections are not games. Democrats believe in the right to directly choose our representatives and welcome any voter to participate in the democratic process we champion. Every voter should carefully select the candidate who most closely reflects his or her values with the knowledge that that candidate can ultimately win the seat. Your vote is your voice - it should not be wasted or debased.The Sanders campaign sent WYFF4 a statement in response to 'Operation Chaos 2020' from Bernie 2020 SC State Director Jessica Bright:Recent reports have made it clear that Donald Trump and the Republican establishment have always been afraid to run against Bernie Sanders going back to 2016 and this is more of the same. The truth is that Sen. Sanders consistently beats Trump in general election matchup polls in battleground states. He's the only candidate with more individual donations than Trump and the only candidate with the network of grassroots volunteers it takes to win in November.