As the Republican National Convention approaches in July, it’s still not clear if the party’s establishment knows there’s a revolt on. The answer will come when the delegates get together and craft the party’s statement of belief, known as a platform.

Republican delegates who are elected during the primaries get together and hammer out the platform, which for the last several election cycles has been very conservative – including on issues like life, marriage, religious freedom, educational choice, and support of Israel. But disaffected Republicans have thus far made this perhaps the most unpredictable primary season in memory.

OneNewsNow spoke with two former platform committee members who see this as a watershed moment for the party. Attorney James Bopp, Jr. – considered by his peers as one of the most influential lawyers in America – says there is a well-funded endeavor to hijack the platform this year.

Bopp

“I do think we’re going to be facing a serious effort,” Bopp comments. “It’s going to be promoted by the mainstream media. There are efforts to get more socially liberal people as members of the platform committee.”

In addition, the party’s standard bearer often weighs in on the platform. Bopp says it’s not clear if Donald Trump intends to – should he gain the nomination – but the former vice chairman of the Republican National Committee maintains conservative committee members will fight to keep the party on the right side of issues like life and marriage.

“We respect the views of the nominee – and he’s entitled to a platform that he can run on,” Bopp concludes. “At the same time, we’re not going to abandon our conservative views.”

Constitutional historian David Barton – founder of WallBuilders – contends the GOP grassroots are getting fed up with leadership going its own way.

Barton

“That’s one of the things that’s given rise to Trump: Republican leadership pretty much ignores platform,” he explains. “And so the grassroots write a platform, and then House and Senate leaders ignore the platform.”

The result, he adds, is that Republicans by the score have left the party to become independents. If party leadership doesn’t “wise up” to its base, Barton says this election could spell the end of the Republican Party.