INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

John Kasich And Ted Cruz Scheme Helping Trump?

By Val Powell
Published on: 21:00 PST, Apr 25, 2016

John Kasich and Ted Cruz joined forces in an attempt to prevent Donald Trump from getting 1,237 delegates, but as it turns out, their scheme might be making the opposite effect.

According to reports, the real estate mogul is expected to win five states in the upcoming Republican primaries on the Eastern Seaboard this Tuesday. However, his rivals are looking forward to the primary in Indiana as it might be their last bid to keep Donald Trump from cementing his Republican Party nomination. The Indiana primaries offer a big win, as 57 delegates are at stake.

It was announced by the campaign staff of both Ted Cruz and John Kasich that the latter will not be competing with the former in Indiana, as his focus will be New Mexico and Oregon. However, it might be difficult for the Texas senator to win there, as Trump held a rally in Indianapolis recently and is planning to be there again this Wednesday. Also, he will be appearing alongside former Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight, a respected figure in the state.

Money is also pouring into Indiana as Donald Trump and his team have spent nearly $800,000 on television and radio ads. Two anti-Trump PACS have also spent nearly the same amount while a pro-Cruz super PAC spent more than a million to attack John Kasich.

In a recent rally in Rockville, the Ohio governor said that he and the Republican Party want to have an open convention so that they can beat the Democratic frontrunner, Hillary Clinton. He added that the agreement with Ted Cruz is all about beating the former Secretary of State. “I think if we go to an open convention, they’re going to look at who can win and who can actually run the country.”

He also noted that the arrangement with the Texas senator wasn’t meant to discourage voters in Indiana. He has urged his supporters to vote for Ted Cruz, saying they should just follow the two candidates’ initiative. However, there is no guarantee that the Ohio governor’s supporters will be writing the Texas senator’s name on the ballot come the Indiana primaries.

In the upcoming primaries in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, Donald Trump is expected to be favored after his big win in New York last week. The five states have a total of 172 delegates, and if he wins all of them, the businessman will be closer to the needed 1,237 delegates. He currently has 845 delegates, and if he wins the 172 delegates, he will only need 220 more.

The Pennsylvania primaries are said to be the most powerful state at the Republican National Convention, and this could help Donald Trump secure the win. Fifty-four of the 71 delegates from the Keystone State will be selected in Tuesday’s primaries and will not be guaranteed to vote for a certain candidate at the July convention in Cleveland. A number of the 54 unpledged delegate spots in Pennsylvania said that they’ll support whoever wins in their district, making Trump most likely to win the state with double digits.

Trump recently slammed the agreement of his opponents, calling both gentlemen “pathetic.” He also said that colluding in business gets people jailed, but colluding in politics is okay as the government is a corrupt enterprise. He also slammed the two politicians and said that they have been in the system for many years but they’re still way behind him.

The deal between Ted Cruz and John Kasich is the first ever official attempt by the Republican Party to merge against Donald Trump.

[Photo by Wilfredo Lee/AP Images]

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