Latest update : 2016-05-05
Donald Trump’s last Republican foe, Ohio Governor John Kasich, ended his presidential campaign on Wednesday, cementing Trump’s remarkable triumph as his party’s presumptive nominee.
Trump’s victory spurred some reluctant Republicans to rally around him, though others agonised over their party’s future.
Trump vowed to unite the splintered GOP, even as he was bitingly dismissive of members who have been critical of his campaign.
“Those people can go away and maybe come back in eight years after we
served two terms,” he said on NBC’s “Today” Show. “Honestly, there are
some people I really don’t want.”
Clinton, in her first remarks since Trump’s new status was
crystalised, said she was more than prepared to handle the kind of
deeply personal attacks that helped defeat Trump’s Republican rivals.
“To me, this is the classic case of a blustering, bullying guy,” Clinton told CNN.
The long and chaotic Republican primary came to an abrupt end after
Trump’s decisive victory Tuesday in Indiana. His win pushed Texas Sen.
Ted Cruz, his closest rival, out of the race, with Kasich following a
day later.
Trump’s takeover of the GOP marks one of the most stunning political feats in modern political history.
A first-time candidate, he eschewed traditional fundraising and
relied more on his own star power than television advertising to draw
attention.
He also flouted political decorum with controversial statements about
women and minorities, leaving some Republicans convinced he can’t
cobble together the diverse coalition needed to win the general
election.
“It’s his party between now and November, but I don’t think it’s
going to be his party after November,” said Peter Wehner, a former
adviser to President George W. Bush. Wehner is among the Republicans
vowing to never vote for Trump, even if that means essentially handing
Clinton the presidency.
Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical leader who backed Cruz,
withheld his support for Trump Wednesday, saying the real estate mogul
needs to prove his conservative credentials with his vice presidential
pick and more information about what kind of judges he would appoint.
“It’s kind of a wait and see moment with Mr. Trump,” he said.
Vander Plaats is among the Republicans clinging to the hope that an alternative option might yet emerge.
Operatives have floated former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Nebraska Sen.
Ben Sasse and former Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn as possible candidates for
a third party or independent bid. But that path is a long-shot at best,
with filing deadlines for getting on state ballots fast approaching.
There was notable silence from major Republican leaders Wednesday.
House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did
not comment on Trump. Spokespeople for Bush and Mitt Romney, the party’s
2012 nominee, also did not respond to inquiries.
Still, several GOP governors and senators said Wednesday that they
would support Trump, according to a survey by The Associated Press.
“Our first and foremost goal is to elect a conservative,
pro-business, strong on national defense, a man who will stand behind
our freedoms and our rights, and that person is Donald Trump,”
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said. “It is not Hillary Clinton.”
Clinton has yet to shake Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the democratic
socialist who has energised young people and liberals with his calls for
sweeping government-run health care and education programs.
Still, Clinton has 93 percent of the delegates she needs to clinch
the Democratic nomination and now is focusing the bulk of her attention
on Trump.
“He is a loose cannon and loose cannons tend to misfire,” Clinton
said Wednesday. Her campaign also released a web ad featuring clips of
prominent Republicans, including his former rivals, bashing Trump.
Both Clinton and Trump head into the general election with
historically high unfavorable ratings. But Clinton is generally popular
within her own party, particularly with women and minority voters who
are crucial to winning general election battleground states like
Florida, Colorado and Nevada.
Some Republicans fear Trump’s poor standing with those voters will
not only cost the party the White House for a third straight term but
the GOP’s Senate majority as well.
Some Republican senators in tough races struggled Wednesday to
position themselves in a party with Trump at the helm, including New
Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte who said that while she would support the
businessman in a general election, she would not endorse his candidacy.
Trump turned quickly toward the general election, saying he would
begin accepting more political donations and was starting to vet
potential running mates. He told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that he was
inclined to “go the political route” and pick someone with legislative
experience.
He later said he could consider Kasich, predicting the Ohio governor
would be helpful this fall in any role given his state’s significance in
the general election.
Though armed with an extensive resume in politics, Kasich struggled
to connect with Republican primary voters in a year dominated by
anti-establishment frustration.
He was a more moderate candidate who embraced elements of President
Barack Obama’s health care overhaul and called for an optimistic and
proactive Republican agenda.
(AP)
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