The scene appeared to calm somewhat after Trump entered the hotel from a back entrance avoiding protesters and took the podium. The extraordinary images were broadcast live on U.S. cable television. “We got to straighten out the country”, he said at a subdued luncheon of party activists who seemed more curious about seeing a celebrity than enthusiastic about their potential presidential nominee. “That’s the thing every Republican needs to keep in mind, that we’re the same team”, said Kevin Krick, the Bay Area regional vice chairman for the party.
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Ted Cruz says California has seen the evil of what he calls Islamic terrorism and that he’s the man to stop it.
“To be honest with you, I’m glad it was me and not like an 8-year-old girl being pepper-sprayed or something like that.”
Trump has made construction of a high wall along the border with Mexico to block illegal immigrants a tenet of his bombastic campaign. On Friday, Cruz also received the endorsement of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R). Chris Conway said he was surrounded by protesters and punched and kicked as he tried to enter the convention wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap.
During his speech, Mr Trump called for the party to unify behind him but added that even if it doesn’t, he thinks he can beat Hillary Clinton.
Trump won another 12 delegates with his statewide win. “If it was close, then you might say ‘Hey, one person here, one person there, ‘ but this was a commanding victory”.
Cruz, from Texas, is trailing the former reality TV star in the Midwestern state after losing to him by a wide margin in all five Northeastern states that held nominating contests on Tuesday.
“I understand it’s a steep climb, I didn’t fall off a turnip truck on my way to California”.
Ahead of Friday’s unrest, tensions also boiled over Thursday at a Trump rally in Costa Mesa, California.
“There is a level of confidence that on a second ballot or thereafter, that 15 of the 16 will continue with Mr. Trump, because in the end, it is the will of the people of the state of DE that must be carried on”, Copeland said.
On Thursday, Costa Mesa police arrested and released 17 people on charges of failing to disperse.
Trump campaign chair Jeff DeWit angrily yelled that “Trump got cheated” after it became clear that delegates to Saturday’s state party convention had elected Cruz backers for virtually all the 28 at-large national delegates. Ted Cruz and his running mate Carly Fiorina will be speaking at the convention Saturday.
“We were all all the way over there in the parking lot, and they just kept shoving us back”. Many in the party worry that Trump’s bombastic rhetoric will hurt the party’s chances in November, while others – and Cruz in particular – remain skeptical of Trump’s conservative bona fides. California and the Valley will play an instrumental role in the Republican race.
Cruz stands at 572 delegates, with third-place John Kasich at 157, according to the CNN tally.
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“I’m up by 400 or so delegates”, Trump said. “It felt like I was crossing the boarder actually!”
