Boycott threats have derailed the Trump Train in suburban Cincinnati.

Republicans in Warren County on Tuesday announced they canceled a train ride in Lebanon scheduled for Oct. 5, dubbed the "Trump Train."

It was supposed to be a fundraiser for the Republican Women of Warren County. But the idea of a Trump Train wasn't welcomed by all.

Organizations involved in the event were "threatened/harassed over involvement in the Trump Train event," an email sent Tuesday by the Republican Women of Warren County said.

The Republicans didn't provide any proof of the threats. No one with the railroad company, the Lebanon Mason & Monroe Railroad, has agreed to interview requests from The Enquirer.

A statement by the railroad organization said they forwarded any "communications" they received for the event to the Republican Women of Warren County.

The management in the statement said they "disassociated" themselves from the Trump Train event the event fearing it would jeopardize their nonprofit status.

The chairman and vice-chair of the Warren County Republican Party wouldn't specify what those threats were, who made them and who received them.

They weren't threats of violence, but threats of boycotts and legal action, said Julie Byrne, vice-chair of the Warren County Republican Party. She declined to get any more specific for fear of inviting more scorn on local vendors.

"That kind of bullying discourages citizens from participating in society," Byrne said. "The people that engage in this behavior prevented fellow citizens from peacefully assembling and having a family event on a fall afternoon, and they should be ashamed of themselves."

Warren County Democratic Chair Bethe Goldenfield said she was not aware of any threats made by Democrats related to the event. But she also said she's not disappointed to see the event canceled.

She talked to Warren County GOP Chair Jeff Monroe to tell them the Democrats don't endorse threats.

"I wanted to make it clear to him, we haven't made any threats," Goldenfield said. "That's not the way we'd like to approach things."

She wasn't aware of a planned boycott, but considered that fair game and not harassment. People can vote with their wallet, she said.

Goldenfield was considering organizing a counter-demonstration. And she questioned whether the railroad company, the Lebanon Mason & Monroe Railroad - operated by the nonprofit Cincinnati Scenic Railway - was violating tax requirements for non-profits to remain nonpartisan. She planned to reach out to railroad officials but didn't get a chance before the Republicans canceled the event.

"I don't consider that threatening," Goldenfield said. "Why wouldn't you check in on a 501(c)3 and see whether they are allowed to host something or not?. I'm doing my due diligence."

The management of the LM&M railroad released a statement Tuesday night saying the event was paid for and hosted by the Republican Women of Warren County. When the railroad management learned it was being marketed as the "Trump Train," they "decided to disassociate" themselves to protect its 501c(3) status, according to the statement.

"Because of this status, and as outlined by the IRS, The LM&M Railroad cannot be connected to an event supporting any political candidate or politician," the railroad management said in the statement. "The LM&M Railroad is not affiliated with any political party. Instead, we are dedicated to serving our community by providing family friendly train events focused on the historic Warren County."

Whether hosting the Trump Train event would have threatened the railroad's nonprofit status is a gray area. The Enquirer reached out to the IRS. Naweed Lemar, a spokesman for the IRS, declined comment and referred to the IRS rule that says non-profits are prohibited from "directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign."

The Trump Train event wasn't an official campaign event for President Donald Trump. It was for a local GOP group.

A spokesman for the National Council of Nonprofits also didn't want to weigh in, saying he was unsure whether the railroad would have crossed a line hosting the event, and referred the question to an attorney who was not immediately available.

The Republicans saw it as a private group contracting with another private group.

"Other nonprofits have rented space or rented facilities to political organizations without jeopardizing their status," Byrne said.

This was the first event the Warren County GOP had to cancel due to threats, said Monroe. They do not know whether they'll reschedule another event to replace the Trump Train.

"It’s a shame that politics has gotten to the point where people believe it’s ok to harass businesses because of their customers’ political viewpoints," Monroe said. "It’s never ok to harass people. Politics should be civil and disagreements on policy should be respectful."