Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump pushed back Wednesday night against what appears to be a growing movement among the party establishment including a few of his former rivals to at least slow down his march to the convention with enough delegates in hand to claim the nomination.
Speaking with Sean Hannity on a special Fox News town hall Trump accused GOP lawmakers opposed to his campaign of taking advantage of our country.
The billionaire businessman called his campaign a movement of competence and common sense and low taxes and secure borders and it would be so foolish to give it away.
Trump was referring to a conference held by the conservative American Enterprise Institute at Sea Island off the coast of Georgia over the weekend where one of the topics reportedly was stopping Trump from securing the Republican nomination.
The conference reportedly was attended by Senate Majority Mitch McConnell House Speaker Paul Ryan and other key Republican congressmen.
I know all these people Trump told Hannity. These are people that are taking advantage of our country. They dont want to have strong borders. They want stuff flowing across the borders. They dont want to have taxation when countries treat us unfairly because they benefit from that.
Politicians will do whats right for the people that gave them the money Trump added later not whats right for the country.
RCP Poll Average for Republican Presidential Nomination InsideGov
Former GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush also planned to meet with Trumps rivals on Thursday ahead of a GOP debate in Florida fueling speculation that hes preparing to endorse a candidate challenging Trump.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio meanwhile told Fox News that he would not drop out of the Republican presidential race before next weeks Florida primary saying were gonna fight this thing through Tuesday ... and were going to go on.
Rubio denied multiple reports that he had discussed the possibility of dropping out before the winner-take-all contest.
Speaking with Fox News Megyn Kelly Rubio said: I have never discussed dropping out with anyone on my team or anyone on the planet Earth ... Im the only one who can beat Donald Trump in Florida."
A Fox News poll released Wednesday showed Rubio trailing Trump by 23 percentage points among likely Republican voters in Florida.
I honestly dont believe Donald Trump will be the nominee Rubio said. I continue to believe its going to be me and its got to start here in Florida.
Rubio also dismissed the possibility that he would form a so-called unity Republican ticket with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz Trumps closest challenger in the delegate race calling it the kind of drama that makes it interesting in TV to speculate about.
At some point were all going to team up Rubio said in reference to the non-Trump candidates. Were all going to be on the same team I hope."
Cruz told Kelly that Rubio and Kasich were good honorable people but neither of them has a path to the nomination.
Head-to-head not only do I beat Donald Trump Cruz said but I defeat him resoundingly.
Cruz also walked back his earlier opposition to a possible convention fight between himself and Trump if neither man reaches the required 1237 delegates during the primaries.
Look Ronald Reagan and President Gerald Ford battled it out at a contested convention in 1976 Cruz said. Thats what conventions are for. However Cruz restated his opposition to a so-called brokered convention calling it a fever dream of the D.C. establishment and warning of an open revolt among Republican voters if it came to pass.
Cruz later turned his rhetorical fire against Trump and Rubio over immigration reform and the so-called Gang of Eight bill in 2013.
When Marco Rubio stood with Barack Obama and Sen. Chuck Schumer and then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ... I stood with millions of Americans Cruz told Kelly. Not only was Donald Trump nowhere to be found he was funding the Gang of Eight. He gave $50000 to five of its members.
Cruz also accused Rubio of lowering the tone of the campaign saying I have no views whatsoever on any part of Donald Trumps anatomy an apparent reference to Rubio jabbing Trumps small hands at a Virginia campaign stop.
For his part Rubio told Megyn Kelly that he regretted the remark saying my kids were embarrassed by it my wife didnt like it I dont think it reflects well; thats not who I am.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich who has staked his campaigns future on victory in next Tuesdays Ohio primary told Fox News Greta Van Susteren that he would probably not pick up enough delegates in other contests to overtake Trump but noted that voters had only picked about half the delegates so far this year ... anything is possible.
A Fox News poll released Wednesday showed Kasich leading Trump by five percentage points among likely Republican voters in the Buckeye State.
Were going to win Ohio Kasich told Van Susteren. Thats not even a question for me. Its about what we do after that and all the places we have to go. But were not taking it for granted.
Trump has 458 delegates to Cruzs 359 following Tuesdays contests in which Trump won the Mississippi and Michigan primaries as well as the Hawaii caucus. Cruz also picked up a win in the Idaho primary. Rubio is a distant third with 151 delegates while Kasich has 54.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump pushed back Wednesday night against what appears to be a growing movement among the party establishment including a few of his former rivals to at least slow down his march to the convention with enough delegates in hand to claim the nomination.
Speaking with Sean Hannity on a special Fox News town hall Trump accused GOP lawmakers opposed to his campaign of taking advantage of our country.
The billionaire businessman called his campaign a movement of competence and common sense and low taxes and secure borders and it would be so foolish to give it away.
Trump was referring to a conference held by the conservative American Enterprise Institute at Sea Island off the coast of Georgia over the weekend where one of the topics reportedly was stopping Trump from securing the Republican nomination.
The conference reportedly was attended by Senate Majority Mitch McConnell House Speaker Paul Ryan and other key Republican congressmen.
I know all these people Trump told Hannity. These are people that are taking advantage of our country. They dont want to have strong borders. They want stuff flowing across the borders. They dont want to have taxation when countries treat us unfairly because they benefit from that.
Politicians will do whats right for the people that gave them the money Trump added later not whats right for the country.
RCP Poll Average for Republican Presidential Nomination InsideGov
Former GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush also planned to meet with Trumps rivals on Thursday ahead of a GOP debate in Florida fueling speculation that hes preparing to endorse a candidate challenging Trump.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio meanwhile told Fox News that he would not drop out of the Republican presidential race before next weeks Florida primary saying were gonna fight this thing through Tuesday ... and were going to go on.
Rubio denied multiple reports that he had discussed the possibility of dropping out before the winner-take-all contest.
Speaking with Fox News Megyn Kelly Rubio said: I have never discussed dropping out with anyone on my team or anyone on the planet Earth ... Im the only one who can beat Donald Trump in Florida."
A Fox News poll released Wednesday showed Rubio trailing Trump by 23 percentage points among likely Republican voters in Florida.
I honestly dont believe Donald Trump will be the nominee Rubio said. I continue to believe its going to be me and its got to start here in Florida.
Rubio also dismissed the possibility that he would form a so-called unity Republican ticket with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz Trumps closest challenger in the delegate race calling it the kind of drama that makes it interesting in TV to speculate about.
At some point were all going to team up Rubio said in reference to the non-Trump candidates. Were all going to be on the same team I hope."
Cruz told Kelly that Rubio and Kasich were good honorable people but neither of them has a path to the nomination.
Head-to-head not only do I beat Donald Trump Cruz said but I defeat him resoundingly.
Cruz also walked back his earlier opposition to a possible convention fight between himself and Trump if neither man reaches the required 1237 delegates during the primaries.
Look Ronald Reagan and President Gerald Ford battled it out at a contested convention in 1976 Cruz said. Thats what conventions are for. However Cruz restated his opposition to a so-called brokered convention calling it a fever dream of the D.C. establishment and warning of an open revolt among Republican voters if it came to pass.
Cruz later turned his rhetorical fire against Trump and Rubio over immigration reform and the so-called Gang of Eight bill in 2013.
When Marco Rubio stood with Barack Obama and Sen. Chuck Schumer and then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ... I stood with millions of Americans Cruz told Kelly. Not only was Donald Trump nowhere to be found he was funding the Gang of Eight. He gave $50000 to five of its members.
Cruz also accused Rubio of lowering the tone of the campaign saying I have no views whatsoever on any part of Donald Trumps anatomy an apparent reference to Rubio jabbing Trumps small hands at a Virginia campaign stop.
For his part Rubio told Megyn Kelly that he regretted the remark saying my kids were embarrassed by it my wife didnt like it I dont think it reflects well; thats not who I am.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich who has staked his campaigns future on victory in next Tuesdays Ohio primary told Fox News Greta Van Susteren that he would probably not pick up enough delegates in other contests to overtake Trump but noted that voters had only picked about half the delegates so far this year ... anything is possible.
A Fox News poll released Wednesday showed Kasich leading Trump by five percentage points among likely Republican voters in the Buckeye State.
Were going to win Ohio Kasich told Van Susteren. Thats not even a question for me. Its about what we do after that and all the places we have to go. But were not taking it for granted.
Trump has 458 delegates to Cruzs 359 following Tuesdays contests in which Trump won the Mississippi and Michigan primaries as well as the Hawaii caucus. Cruz also picked up a win in the Idaho primary. Rubio is a distant third with 151 delegates while Kasich has 54.
