In the Republican caucus in the U.S. capital, Rubio earned 37.3 per cent of the vote against 35.5 per cent for Ohio Governor John Kasich.
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“I already talked about the fact that I think Hillary Clinton would be awful for this country, but the fact that you’re even asking me that question …”
What the delegate math does tell us is that a brokered convention is very possible.
Republican presidential front- runner Donald Trump today suffered a double blow as he lost badly to rivals Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in polls in the United States capital and Wyoming, an indication that the fight for securing the party’s nomination was hotting up.
But after 24 primary contests, Trump has only grown stronger and leads his rivals in the all-important delegate count.
While Trump hasn’t won half the delegates to this point, that’s largely because, until Tuesday, states weren’t allowed to award all of their delegates to the victor.
“We’re all in this together”, Trump said.
The comments, made three days before critical primaries in several states, including Florida and OH, represent an escalation in Rubio’s rhetoric, and follow a Republican debate earlier this month in which Rubio vowed to back Trump were he to become the GOP’s standard-bearer.
Polls suggest Kasich has a better chance in his state than Rubio has in Florida, but it’s important to both of them – and to Texas Sen.
The 30-second spot, first tweeted out by Trump, will air throughout the Buckeye State, according to the Trump campaign.
Rubio said it was “getting harder every day” to keep his word. Trump rallies are scheduled for Cleveland and Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday.
Appearing on Good Morning America, Rubio argued that Trump would be a weak nominee. Trump, meanwhile, could put the Republican nomination out of reach to others in Tuesday’s slate of five delegate-rich primaries.
Mr Trump’s campaign issued a statement saying: “Mr. Trump just arrived in Chicago and after meeting with law enforcement has determined that for the safety of all of the tens of thousands of people that have gathered in and around the arena, tonight’s rally will be postponed to another date”. In the winner-take-all contests, 66 delegates are up for grabs in OH while Florida has 99 to win.
Trump claims there was 35,000 people at his rally.
“When the candidate urges supporters to engage in physical violence, to punch people in the face, the predictable outcome of that is that is escalates”, Cruz said.
Some isolated confrontations took place afterward.
Rubio, fighting for his political life, said it is Trump who could destroy the party given the many Republicans who vow never to support the NY real estate mogul.
Trump holds a almost two-to-one lead in Florida, with 43 percent support in the NBC/Wall Street Journal survey.
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“Pitting one group against one another is toxic and divisive and that’s not the way we want to elect a president”, Kasich told reporters after a town-hall event.
