Washington: Two senior Republican leaders – Ted Cruz and John Kasich – have joined hands in a desperate effort to stop Donald Trump from earning the Republican presidential nomination.
Within minutes of each other, statements were issued by the two leaders announcing they will divide their efforts in upcoming contests with Cruz focusing on Indiana and Kasich to campaign in Oregon and New Mexico. The coming together is seen as a last ditch attempt to block Trump from gaining the 1,237 delegates necessary to claim to GOP nomination this summer.
The extraordinary moves highlights the growing popularity of the billionaire businessman and the inability of Republicans to stop him. Dividing up some of the remaining primary states by coming up with one strong option to Trump in each could take away delegates and stop Trump from earning the nomination.
Trump seems to be the only candidate who can realistically get a first-ballot victory as Cruz or Kasich have no chance of clinching the nomination heading into the convention.
Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe said in a statement the Texas senator will focus on the May 3 Indiana primary. He claimed that Trump’s nomination will be “a sure disaster.”
He added: “To ensure that we nominate a Republican who can unify the Republican Party and win in November, our campaign will focus its time and resources in Indiana and in turn clear the path for Gov. Kasich to compete in Oregon and New Mexico.”
Kasich’s chief strategist, John Weaver, said in a separate statement: “Due to the fact that the Indiana primary is winner-take-all statewide and by congressional district, keeping Trump from winning a plurality in Indiana is critical to keeping him under 1,237 bound delegates before Cleveland. We are very comfortable with our delegate position in Indiana already, and given the current dynamics of the primary there, we will shift our campaign’s resources West and give the Cruz campaign a clear path in Indiana.”
Trump slammed the arrangement on Twitter: “Wow, just announced that Lyin’ Ted and Kasich are going to collude in order to keep me from getting the Republican nomination. DESPERATION!” he tweeted.