Trump: There could be riots if I lose nomination David M Jackson , USA TODAY A
supporter holds up a sign for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump
during a campaign rally in Boca Raton, Fla., Sunday, March 13, 2016. (Photo:
Paul Sancya, AP) WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. ' Donald Trump'called on Republicans
to rally around his candidacy Wednesday, and said there could be "riots"'if the
party somehow conspires to deny him the presidential nomination after'he
remains way ahead in convention delegates. "I don't think you can say that we
don't get it automatically," Trump told CNN after a night of wins in Florida,
Illinois, and North Carolina. "I think you'd have riots. I think you'd have
riots. I'm representing many, many millions of people. Trump's remaining
opponents
did not seem inclined to give him the nomination. John Kasich predicted that
his win in Ohio would propel him to victory in an open convention, while Ted
Cruz said he is looking for a one-on-one showdown with the New York
businessman. In any event, the Republicans now have only a three-candidate
race: Florida
Sen. Marco Rubio pulled out Tuesday night'after he lost his home state big to
Trump. "I'm going to be the nominee," Kasich told NBC's Today show. Cruz,
currently second to Trump in terms of Republican delegates,'began appealing to
Rubio's followers to join an anti-Trump coalition,'and also suggested that
Kasich exit the race because it is mathematically impossible for him to win the
GOP nomination. "The longer Kasich stays in the race, the more it benefits
Trump," Cruz said. "Unlike Kasich, our campaign, number one, has beaten Donald
Trump over and over and over again. The candidates hit the talk shows a
day after Trump won primaries in Florida, Illinois, and North Carolina. The New
York businessman had a slight lead over Cruz in Missouri, but news networks
have not called the race because absentee and provisional ballots remain to be
counted. In the wake of Tuesday's primaries,'Trump currently'leads in
convention'delegates
with 621, about half of what he needs to clinch. according to the Associated
Press. He is followed by Cruz (396), Rubio (168) and Kasich (138). Anti-Trump
Republicans are hoping to block the businessman'at the party convention in
July, seeking to deny him a majority of delegates on the first ballot. Many
delegates who are bound to a particular candidate on the first ballot become
free agents on subsequent votes. Kasich predicted that an open convention
would come to pass because "nobody is going to have enough delegates.
Kasich'also told NBC that neither Trump nor Cruz can win a fall election against
the Democrats, and he can. "They can't come in to Ohio with the philosophy they
have and win," Kasich said. "You can't win Ohio, you can't be president.
Trump predicted he would rack up a majority of delegates before the convention
opens July 18 in Cleveland. Even if he is a little short, Trump said'he
should still be awarded'the nomination if, as expected, he has a large
delegate'lead over competitors. Otherwise, he told CNN, "I think bad things
would
happen. Trump, appearing on ABC's Good Morning America ,'also criticized
reports that Republicans who oppose his candidacy are talking about running
their
own candidate in the fall election. "A'third-party guarantees Democrats will
win," Trump told ABC.
