Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump flexes his muscles as he talks with caucus participants while visiting a Nevada Republican caucus site at Palo Verde High School in Las Vegas, Nevada February 23, 2016. Meanwhile, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz were locked in a battle for second place.
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A triumphant Trump, who has alienated many Hispanic voters with his persistent anti-immigrant rhetoric, told supporters after his win that he was especially proud to have fared well with the Latino Republican voters in Nevada who overwhelmingly backed him.
Rubio, already campaigning in MI as caucus results rolled in, was projecting confidence that he can consolidate the non-Trump voters who have been splintering among an assortment of Republican candidates, saying, “we have incredible room to grow”.
Another day, another victory speech for Donald Trump, this time after cruising to a win at the Nevada caucus with nearly half of the vote.
Appearing Wednesday on ABC’s Good Morning America, Trump did say it was still “too early” to start talking about selection of a running mate.
“The whole thing it’s going to be an fantastic two months”, he added, referring to the next primary contests. “I mean, you know, we need a president we can trust”, Cruz said.
The victory gives Trump huge momentum going into next week’s Super Tuesday.
Ted Cruz has been the only challenger to come close to overtaking the businessman, scraping past him to win the opening Iowa caucus.
After Nevada, the real test on where the presidential candidates stand will come on March 1, when 11 states go to the polls in what is known as “Super Tuesday”.
No presidential candidate has ever lost the party nomination after winning three of the first four states to vote.
Cruz, a fiery conservative popular among voters on the GOP’s right, had finished a disappointing third in SC after spending much of the past two weeks denying charges of dishonest campaign tactics and defending his integrity.
Until then, the risk for them is that Trump will continue “winning, winning, winning”, as the billionaire bragged on Tuesday. But, more and more it looks like Trump supporters are dying to get to the polls and flip the script. However, after crushing defeats in New Hampshire and lackluster debate performances, the insurgency of Trump into the GOP party is clear. Among those who said they were merely dissatisfied, Trump held a somewhat smaller lead over Rubio, with Trump supported by about 4 in 10 and Rubio by about a third.
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Mr. Cruz and Mr. Rubio have attacked each other angrily in recent days, as each has struggled to establish himself as Mr. Trump’s strongest rival.
