“Right now Kasich on the ballot is just dividing votes in the opposition to Donald Trump, and if Kasich manages to pull enough votes in Utah to pull me below 50 percent, the effect of John Kasich will be giving Donald Trump 20 more delegates, which I think I would be a big, big mistake”, Cruz said in an interview on Utah radio.
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Kasich is hoping to appeal to moderate Republicans in the state but he’s largely unknown and would have to “catch fire” to leap frog Trump and Cruz, Perry said.
Trump on Wednesday warned of riots if he is denied the Republican presidential nomination, after adding to his growing pile of primary wins but losing in the key state of Ohio.
When asked about the idea in an interview that aired Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union”, Kasich said he is “not thinking that way” at this point, but that “we always talk”.
“Nobody’s going to have the delegates they need going to the convention”, he told “Face the Nation”.
Election observers believe Cruz is best-positioned to inherit voters who were leaning toward Florida Sen.
Since the GOP field has been so crowded Trump says it would be “unfair” him to deny his the nomination.
According to a January 2016 article in the New York Times, Trump said “people just don’t understand the Mormon thing” and the LDS faith is an “alien faith”.
He made it clear he’s not staying in the race to block Trump’s nomination.
All eyes will focus on Utah Tuesday, March 22, to see which presidential candidates will get the state’s delegate votes.
“It doesn’t seem like what Mitt’s been doing is very much in line with those characteristics and those traits that I know of Utahns, of the LDS community”, Trump Jr. said, calling Romney “incredibly disingenuous”.
Speaking in a packed gymnasium at Provo High School, Cox riled up the crowd with tales of Donald Trump’s comments at a rally in nearby Salt Lake City Friday night. Some possible nominees include former vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, and even former presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Kasich has devoted a fair amount of time to campaigning in Utah, revealing that his campaign isn’t simply about blocking Trump from amassing the necessary delegates to win the nomination.
“Today, there is a contest between Trumpism and Republicanism”, Romney wrote.
The announcement from Romney, the faith’s most visible member, dealt a blow to John Kasich as he campaigned in the heart of Mormon country.
“If we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished”, Romney said.
In addition to self-funding his campaign, Trump has the advantage of running an operation that leans heavily on free media exposure. “I’m the one who can win in the fall”.
In a speech earlier this month Romney, who lost to President Obama in the 2012 race, and previously in 2008, warned his party against nominating the Apprentice star as the candidate.
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He also considers himself an outdoorsman who enjoys hunting, skiing and mountain biking, which he related back to the continuing debate over ownership of Utah’s federal lands, saying his father wants to make sure public lands remain public. Part of the message: “We expect a strong finish in the Utah Caucus on Tuesday”.
