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President Trump answers reporters' questions in the Oval Office on March 30, 2017.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Pool/European Pressphoto Agency)

WASHINGTON More than a dozen of Ohios leading conservative activists fired off a letter to President Trump on Thursday asking him to back off his attacks on the House Freedom Caucus.

The letter, from 20 tea party leaders and Republican stalwarts across Ohio, came after Trump publicly threatened todefeat members of the Freedom Caucusin the 2018 midtermelections. The Freedom Caucus is a group of about three dozen arch-conservatives in the House, including Rep. Jim Jordan of Urbana.

We respectfully ask you to stand with our conservative heroes in the Freedom Caucus,along with other conservatives in the House and Senate, the Ohio contingent wrote in their letter. Please workwithmembers of the Freedom Caucus, notagainstthem.

Among those signing the letter wereAnn Becker, president of theCincinnati Tea Party, and Lori Viars, vice president of Warren County Right To Life.

Trump attacked the Freedom Caucus lawmakers after they helped torpedo the GOP Obamacare repeal bill last week, which the president and House GOP leaders had championed as their best chance to kill the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Trump's jab raised the specterof a bruising internal GOP fight.

We felt he was going a little bit too far, Tom Zawistowski, of the Portage County TEA Party,said of Trumps threat. He said the Freedom Caucus saved the president from a bill that would have been an albatross around his neck.

We just think maybe hes putting some blame where he should putting some thanks, he said.

The letter, while politely worded, signals that conservatives will not sit quietly on the sidelines if Trump abandons hard-core GOP principals and takes a more pragmatic route that involves working with Democrats.

Read more:

Trump threatens House Freedom Caucus, says it needs to 'get on the team'

What is the House Freedom Caucus and why is Trump attacking its members?

Republican moderates reject talks with House Freedom Caucus

Here is the full letter and the list of signers:

Open Letter to President Trump from Ohio conservative leaders

Dear Mr. President,

We, the undersigned conservative leaders in the swing state of Ohio, voted for you and worked hard to bring others to the polls to elect you last November. We want to see you succeed in Making America Great Again! We appreciate much of what you have already done in the first few months of your administration.

However, we respectfully ask you to stand with our conservative heroes in the Freedom Caucus,along with other conservatives in the House and Senate.These patriotsare working to keep the campaign promises that you and they made tous.

Please workwithmembers of the Freedom Caucus, notagainstthem, to ensure you are all successful in keeping your campaign promises and "draining the swamp." Mr. President, we are praying for your success as you work to rebuild our nation.

Respectfully,

Ann Becker, Butler County for Trump co-chair; Cincinnati Tea Party president; GOP State Central Committee member

Tom Zawistowski,"We the People" Convention president; Portage County TEA Party

Janet Folger Porter,Faith2Action president; Trump general election volunteer

State Rep. Candice Keller,Butler County Trump volunteer; Ohio House Dist. 53

State Rep. Nino Vitale,Ohio House Dist. 85 (Champaign, Shelby & Logan Co.)

Kirsten Hill,Ohio Liberty Coalition president

Mike Lyons,Ohio Liberty Coalition board member

State Rep. Paul Zeltwanger,Ohio House District 54 (Warren, Hamilton & Butler Co.)

John McAvoy,Toledo Tea Party president

State Rep. John Becker,Ohio House District 65 (Clermont Co.)

Terri Iannetta,Summit County Tea Party president

Jim Green,North Central Ohio Conservatives, Inc. president

Mary Ellen Buechter,Miami County Liberty vice-president

Jim & Jennifer Hiles,Hocking Hill TEA Party Patriots co-founders

Jeff Malek,Medina TEA Party Patriots president

Anne Kaczmarek,Liberty Camp for Kids president

Barbara Burkard,Miami Valley Citizens Info

T.J. Honerlaw,Warren Co. Republican Party Central Committee

Lisa Cooper,Republican State Central Committee, District 26tee vice-chairman; Trump general election volunteer

Lori Viars,Conservative Republican Leadership Committee board member; Trump Campaign general election volunteer; Warren Co. Right To Life vice-president

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Ohio tea party to Trump: Stop attacking conservatives - Cincinnati.com