Trump had expected to win big on the crucial Tuesday, sweeping the five states which could have provided him with the Republican nomination, but instead, he now faces a three-way struggle against John Kasich and Ted Cruz, the US Senator from Texas.
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The Kasich crowd at Baldwin Wallace University near Cleveland erupted in cheers when the race was called for their candidate, but then switched to boos when the Democratic side was called for Hillary Clinton.
Clinton is part of the Democratic establishment, a former secretary of state, senator and first lady.
“We can’t lose what made America great in the first place”.
The contests in OH and Florida have long loomed as a potentially decisive showdown for Republicans because, unlike previous 2016 clashes that awarded delegates on a proportional basis, the two powerful swing states are holding winner-take-all contests.
Overall though, it still ended up being a very good night for Trump, as he picked up wins in North Carolina and IL that could still give him plenty of delegates to make up for the OH loss.
People will also vote in Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina. The billionaire businessman told a victory rally, “This was an wonderful night”.
Votes were also being counted Tuesday in Missouri and IL, though races in both parties were too close to call.
“A Trump primary victory would cripple the Republican Party and the conservative movement”, Rubio told Fox. The result could be a contested convention, creating an unpredictable outcome. In a reference to Trump’s fiery campaign rhetoric, Kasich added: “I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land”. Marco Rubio to abandon the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
If Trump sweeps Tuesday’s contests, he’ll cross an important threshold with more than 50 percent of the delegates awarded so far.
Trump is the only Republican candidate with a realistic path to the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination before the July convention.
Clinton’s victories in Ohio, Florida and IL were blows to rival Bernie Sanders and bolstered her argument that she’s the best Democratic candidate to take on the eventual Republican nominee in the general election.
A confident Clinton pivoted quickly to November during her victory rally, assailing Trump’s hardline immigration positions and support for torture.
Superdelegates are party leaders and elected officials who can vote for whomever they choose, acting as a brake if the popular vote is heading toward someone party leaders deem unelectable, potentially damaging the Democratic party.
Because the Democratic Party does not use a winner-take-all system in any of the states, Sanders’ real challenge is gaining ground in the delegate count.
A little less than 1 in 10 of all GOP primary voters said they were Democrats, and most went with Kasich.
Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz are in a virtual tie in Missouri. “Our commander-in-chief has to be able to defend our country, not embarrass it”, she said.
Mr Trump has alienated many Republicans and Democrats with his disparaging remarks about Mexicans, Muslims and women, among others. He entered Tuesday’s primaries embroiled in one of the biggest controversies of his contentious campaign. The GOP front-runner has encouraged supporters to physically confront protesters at his events and is now facing criticism for encouraging violence after skirmishes broke out at a rally last week in Chicago. Trump said he didn’t want to “ruin somebody’s life, but do we prosecute somebody like that?” His belief is that the victory in OH will fundamentally change the dynamic of the GOP race and that the anti-Trump forces will begin to coalesce around him now that Rubio is out.
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Mr Rubio implicitly rebuked the front-runner throughout a speech in Miami announcing he was dropping out of the race, imploring Americans to “not give in to the fear, do not give in to the frustration”.
