Trump staffing up to fend off potential primary challenge

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's re-election campaign is staffing up to fend off any potential primary challenger.

The Virginia-based campaign is announcing Friday that former White House official Nick Trainer will lead its delegate and party organization efforts ahead of the 2020 Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

No party challenger has emerged within the GOP to face Trump, who is broadly popular among the party's base and has enormous institutional advantages as a sitting president. The announcement is an indication that Trump isn't resting easy.

The campaign says Trainer will lead a team of three regional directors in organizing state-by-state delegate selection and the convention whip operation. Both would be crucial to Trump beating back any intra-party rival.