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Ben Carson: 'I do not see a political path forward' – campaign live
Ben Carson: 'I do not see a political path forward' – campaign live
(35 minutes later)
8.03pm GMT
20:03
Less than 24 hours ago, Carson called on his rivals to join him this week for a meeting about “civility” in the presidential race. What changed? He made a downbeat appearance before supporters at the end of Super Tuesday, blaming “the system” for marginalizing his candidacy but insisting that he would stay in the race on behalf of “millions of supporters on social media.”
At the weekend, Carson accused Trump of buying votes, and last week he made news for asserting that Barack Obama was “raised white.”
7.13pm GMT
7.13pm GMT
19:13
19:13
Carson: 'I do not see a political path forward'
Carson: 'I do not see a political path forward'
The retired neurosurgeon remains “deeply committed to my home nation, America,” his statement says.
The retired neurosurgeon remains “deeply committed to my home nation, America,” his statement says.
Speech tomorrow at the conservative political action conference.
Speech tomorrow at the conservative political action conference.
Carson's statement to supporters: pic.twitter.com/LfrILLN7IY
Carson's statement to supporters: pic.twitter.com/LfrILLN7IY
Updated
Updated
at 7.18pm GMT
at 7.18pm GMT
7.05pm GMT
7.05pm GMT
19:05
19:05
A Republican speaker past and the Republican speaker present are hosting a live chat on Facebook. Right now Newt Gingrich is expounding on the dynamic between committee chairmen and the House leadership. Gingrich praises Paul Ryan for shifting the way the House does business in the last four months. Will Ryan get a word in edgewise?
A Republican speaker past and the Republican speaker present are hosting a live chat on Facebook. Right now Newt Gingrich is expounding on the dynamic between committee chairmen and the House leadership. Gingrich praises Paul Ryan for shifting the way the House does business in the last four months. Will Ryan get a word in edgewise?
Live now on @Facebook with @SpeakerRyan. Ask us questions here: https://t.co/MfZ3A4tjn5 pic.twitter.com/WCmElCk8U9
Live now on @Facebook with @SpeakerRyan. Ask us questions here: https://t.co/MfZ3A4tjn5 pic.twitter.com/WCmElCk8U9
It would be interesting to hear these gentlemen discuss Trump, whom Gingrich has singled out for praise and who said last night that as president he would get along with Ryan or Ryan would “pay.”
It would be interesting to hear these gentlemen discuss Trump, whom Gingrich has singled out for praise and who said last night that as president he would get along with Ryan or Ryan would “pay.”
7.00pm GMT
7.00pm GMT
19:00
19:00
Carson will not attend Thursday debate – report
Carson will not attend Thursday debate – report
The Washington Post reports that Ben Carson will not attend tomorrow’s Republican presidential debate in Detroit – and that Carson seems to have new thinking on his viability since saying last night that he “will remain” in the race:
The Washington Post reports that Ben Carson will not attend tomorrow’s Republican presidential debate in Detroit – and that Carson seems to have new thinking on his viability since saying last night that he “will remain” in the race:
SCOOP: BEN CARSON will tell supporters today that he does not see “path forward,” will not attend Thursday debate https://t.co/gvpB5pkAoe
SCOOP: BEN CARSON will tell supporters today that he does not see “path forward,” will not attend Thursday debate https://t.co/gvpB5pkAoe
From the report:
From the report:
Carson, however, will not formally suspend his campaign. Instead, the Republicans said, he has decided to make a speech about his political future on Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland, just outside of Washington.
Carson, however, will not formally suspend his campaign. Instead, the Republicans said, he has decided to make a speech about his political future on Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland, just outside of Washington.
Tantalizing. Dana Bash reported on CNN last night that the GOP was trying to get Carson out of the presidential race and into the Florida senate race. Did it work?
Tantalizing. Dana Bash reported on CNN last night that the GOP was trying to get Carson out of the presidential race and into the Florida senate race. Did it work?
Carson says he doesn't see a path to the nomination but in fairness his eyes were probably closed when he said that
Carson says he doesn't see a path to the nomination but in fairness his eyes were probably closed when he said that
Updated
Updated
at 7.14pm GMT
at 7.14pm GMT
6.48pm GMT
6.48pm GMT
18:48
18:48
The Ted Cruz campaign reports a personal-best fundraising month for February of $12m. Nowhere near Sanders numbers but enough to keep the lights on:
The Ted Cruz campaign reports a personal-best fundraising month for February of $12m. Nowhere near Sanders numbers but enough to keep the lights on:
Thank you! Biggest fundraising month for @teamtedcruz! Nearly 12M for the month of February. 225K donations for an ave of $52 per donation.
Thank you! Biggest fundraising month for @teamtedcruz! Nearly 12M for the month of February. 225K donations for an ave of $52 per donation.
6.45pm GMT
6.45pm GMT
18:45
18:45
OK, calm down with the Romney speculation...
OK, calm down with the Romney speculation...
Romney is not getting in this race, sources telling us @abc
Romney is not getting in this race, sources telling us @abc
Source close to Romney on his speech tomorrow: "This is not an endorsement or announcement of candidacy."
Source close to Romney on his speech tomorrow: "This is not an endorsement or announcement of candidacy."
6.09pm GMT
6.09pm GMT
18:09
18:09
Romney to deliver speech on 2016 race
Romney to deliver speech on 2016 race
What does the 2012 Republican nominee have to say? He’s spent the last week slamming Trump on Twitter. Now the Romney shop has e-blasted reporters to announce the speech.
What does the 2012 Republican nominee have to say? He’s spent the last week slamming Trump on Twitter. Now the Romney shop has e-blasted reporters to announce the speech.
NEW: @MittRomney will deliver speech on "state of the 2016 presidential race" tomorrow morning in Utah... #decision2016
NEW: @MittRomney will deliver speech on "state of the 2016 presidential race" tomorrow morning in Utah... #decision2016
Remember when Romney dropped out of the race because the institutional force of Jeb Bush’s campaign was too intimidating? Here’s a sample of Romney’s view of Trump:
Remember when Romney dropped out of the race because the institutional force of Jeb Bush’s campaign was too intimidating? Here’s a sample of Romney’s view of Trump:
A disqualifying & disgusting response by @realDonaldTrump to the KKK. His coddling of repugnant bigotry is not in the character of America.
A disqualifying & disgusting response by @realDonaldTrump to the KKK. His coddling of repugnant bigotry is not in the character of America.
Updated
Updated
at 6.15pm GMT
at 6.15pm GMT
6.06pm GMT
6.06pm GMT
18:06
18:06
Sanders wallops Clinton in Feburary fundraising
Sanders wallops Clinton in Feburary fundraising
Once again, underdog Bernie Sanders has far outrun Hillary Clinton in fundraising. Sanders raised a smashing $42m in February, his campaign said earlier this week.
Once again, underdog Bernie Sanders has far outrun Hillary Clinton in fundraising. Sanders raised a smashing $42m in February, his campaign said earlier this week.
The Clinton camp has just released its February number and it’s just over 70% of the Sanders figure:
The Clinton camp has just released its February number and it’s just over 70% of the Sanders figure:
The Latest: Clinton camp says it raised $30 million in Feb., less than Sanders: https://t.co/TXlfD0ZcAO
The Latest: Clinton camp says it raised $30 million in Feb., less than Sanders: https://t.co/TXlfD0ZcAO
5.58pm GMT
5.58pm GMT
17:58
17:58
Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, a Republican whose approval rating has variously been described as “amazing” and “transcendent,” has declared that he will never vote for Donald Trump.
Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, a Republican whose approval rating has variously been described as “amazing” and “transcendent,” has declared that he will never vote for Donald Trump.
Massachusetts GOP Gov Baker on Trump: “I’m not going to vote for him in November.”
Massachusetts GOP Gov Baker on Trump: “I’m not going to vote for him in November.”
5.40pm GMT
5.40pm GMT
17:40
17:40
Senator Marco Rubio has voted early in Florida:
Senator Marco Rubio has voted early in Florida:
This morning Jeanette & I early voted in West Miami. Find your early voting location here: https://t.co/x1msozQa8F pic.twitter.com/TiqZPFtvxz
This morning Jeanette & I early voted in West Miami. Find your early voting location here: https://t.co/x1msozQa8F pic.twitter.com/TiqZPFtvxz
Rubio cast his ballot for Florida primary at West Miami City Hall, where his career in elected office began as city commissioner.
Rubio cast his ballot for Florida primary at West Miami City Hall, where his career in elected office began as city commissioner.
Some Florida counties opened polling sites for early voting last week and the remainder open for early voting on 5 March aka Saturday. More than 300,000 Republicans have already submitted absentee ballots in Florida, where Real Clear Politics polling averages have Trump up by about 20. Rubio has been performing well with voters who tell exit pollsters that they decided late.
Some Florida counties opened polling sites for early voting last week and the remainder open for early voting on 5 March aka Saturday. More than 300,000 Republicans have already submitted absentee ballots in Florida, where Real Clear Politics polling averages have Trump up by about 20. Rubio has been performing well with voters who tell exit pollsters that they decided late.
5.07pm GMT
17:07
From the comments / grab bag
What’s buzzing in the comments? Here’s what:
Upset at the Kentucky-Trump-rally footage:
The images of the black lady being manhandled by Trump fans are very disturbing to say the least.
One would have wished that images such as these - so common in a different era - now had been consigned to the past.
Trump has brought them back.
Truly horrible, and given the kind of energy that Trump's shenanigans have released—energy that the GOP has been tapping into with dog-whistles for years—I fear we can expect to see more of this kind of thing.
That energy has gone from covert to overt, and Trump is the one who uncorked that bottle. There's no getting it back it, either.Awful.
All aboard the Bernie train
Hillary supporters sorely underestimate the animosity toward her on a gut level, never mind the fact that the masses are demanding regime change.
Wake UP!! Get on the Sanders train before it's too late!...
Looking at the polls, Trump has it in the bag.
But Sanders has more than a fighting chance. His weak spot is behind him. He's still standing, with a huge pile of money, favorable demographics and polls.
Last night no one expected him to win more than 2 states. He won 4 and almost tied in Massachusetts.
Colorado was really important state to win. It could be a bellwether.
Trump as liberal savior
Trump is the liberal savior!
Single-handedly ripping the GOP into pieces while killing its chances at the White House as well as wrecking it's votes for the house and senate.This could mark an unprecedented 16 year run of Dem terms (2 Obama, 2 Clinton).
Enjoy this my republican friends, you created this monster with your tea party hysterics and Sarah Palin foolishness back in 2008!
Thanks for joining in and let us know what else you’d like to see featured here.
Updated
at 5.08pm GMT
4.55pm GMT
16:55
In need of some comic relief? The folks at Bad Lip Reading have taken on Ted Cruz. “This whole nation’s like a pork pie. Juicy America.”
4.37pm GMT
16:37
“Donald Trump’s oldest son gave a 20-minute interview last weekend to a radio host who thinks that slavery is the best thing to ever happen to African Americans,” Politico reports:
James Edwards — who is the host of a radio show called “Political Cesspool” that has hosted leaders of the Ku Klux Klan, Holocaust deniers and neo-Nazis—spoke with Donald Trump Jr. and will air the show on Saturday according to a blog post released Tuesday.
Edwards once wrote that that slavery was great for African Americans but bad for whites.
Read the full piece here.
I'm old enough to remember when dog whistles weren't so loud https://t.co/muSMtpFXxW
It's possible Trump himself is not a virulent racist. But there is no question he relies upon racism to drive up his vote totals.
Can someone redo this with the Trump logo? pic.twitter.com/lnK8Pyf1DI
Updated
at 4.52pm GMT
4.26pm GMT
16:26
Tom Dart
A candidate who has described Mexicans as rapists and criminals and whose core immigration plan is to make Mexico pay for a giant wall ought not to prosper on the southern border, writes the Guardian’s Tom Dart:
Yet Donald Trump was embraced on Tuesday by voters in America’s most Hispanic city.
Trump won almost 35% of the Republican primary vote in Webb County, where Laredo is the county seat, comfortably ahead of Marco Rubio (28.4%) and Ted Cruz (28.2%), the Hispanic senator from Texas who finished first in the state overall.
Read the full piece here:
Related: Trump dominates in Texas border town where proposed wall would be built
Tom continues:
Not that it takes a lot of GOP votes to win here – only 4,089 were cast in the race, compared with nearly 26,000 among Democrats. Laredo is 96% Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2010 census, and it is hugely Democratic: Barack Obama won 77% of the vote in the county in 2012. In an unusual spurt of eloquence, twice-failed GOP presidential hopeful and former Texas governor Rick Perry once called the border the blueberry in the tomato soup: a speck of nutrition for Democrats in a Republican-dominated state.
Updated
at 4.27pm GMT
4.01pm GMT
16:01
Young black woman shoved around at Trump rally in Kentucky
White men roughed up a young black woman – reportedly a protester – who attended a vicious Donald Trump rally in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday night. Local news video (skip to 1:24) of the rally captures Trump urging supporters to “go get ’em” – apparently a reference to the protesters – as a crowd of white people shoves around a few black protesters, with at least one in the mob smiling and filming on his camera.
Local WLKY news reports:
Many times the crowd cheered Trump, but he was also interrupted by protesters several times. Those protesters were led out of the convention center.
At one point, a woman could be seen being pushed by people in the crowd until she left.
WLKY spoke with the woman on the phone Tuesday night. She said she is doing well. She is just trying to process everything.
The local Courier-Journal said the rally was “tinged with excitement and anger”:
Trump was interrupted more than half a dozen times by protesters raising signs and shouting.
“Get ‘em the hell out of here. Get out. Get out,” Trump yelled into the microphone as his security team and police officers led people away and the crowd cheered loudly.
“Out. Out. Out.”
We don’t know what exactly to make of this detail way down in the Courier-Journal coverage:
One man wearing a makeshift hood was led out by police.
See, there are tons of "quietly" racist folks who now have a way to push their views -- by voting for Trump.
...and by joining a mob to assault African Americans while being apparently goaded on by the man himself.
Updated
at 4.35pm GMT
3.45pm GMT
15:45
Republican race: not sewn up
How strong was Donald Trump’s Super Tuesday? He did not put the race away – his delegate gains on the field weren’t as impressive as the list of seven states he won, and he is only 27% of the way to the winning mark of 1,237 delegates.
If the current dynamics of the race hold – and with Rubio and Cruz (and Kasich) sticking in, what changes them? – Trump marches to the nomination. He’s just a long way from being there now.
So the provisional share of all delegates each candidate has won so far is:Trump 46%, Cruz 32%, Rubio 16%, Kasich 4%, Carson 1%, other 1%
Good news for Trump's rivals: Math is there to stop Trump Bad news: Field isn't winnowing and clock is ticking https://t.co/pQA3InQsuR
The numbers above are backed up by other independent counts:
Here's a rough breakdown of where we are in the delegate race (w/ the caveat that ST delegates aren't set in stone). pic.twitter.com/UeIFK3FYdG
And FiveThirtyEight points out that Trump is steadily winning about 35% of the vote – instead of growing his support. That could signal the actual presence of a ceiling of support for Trump which analysts have long chattered about.
So Trump got over 40% in two states? Lost 4 states. Nearly lost 3 more. Yes, folks it's clear this is over. Oh wait.
So if my math is correct, Trump won 34.4 percent of the total vote tonight. Doing an average of his vote across states, he won 34.5 percent.
And hilariously enough, Trump's avg vote in the first four contests was? 34.5%. So his average state tonight matched his avg in 1st four.
Trump, of course, has repeatedly overthrown expectations that he could not climb higher. And with the current fractured field, 35% is still plenty to win and keep winning.
Plan A: Sit tight, wait for Trump to collapse. Plan B: Clear field so Marco can beat Trump 1-on-1. Plan C: Keep field big, deny Trump 1,237.
Updated
at 3.49pm GMT
3.30pm GMT
15:30
A hometown hero, but not just in Vermont – Sanders also won Oklahoma, Colorado and Minnesota, and he came very close in Massachusetts. With all states awarding Democratic delegates proportionately, Sanders stays in the race – without really showing signs of being able to expand his appeal in a way that could spell national success. Not yet at least.
Per our math, Sanders would need to win 59% of remaining delegates to catch Clinton -- under a proportional system https://t.co/pQA3Io83Tr
Local coverage of "Hometown Hero" Bernie Sanders on Super Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/1M59PA8ooq
Share of popular vote within their party thus far:Bernie Sanders: ~38%Donald Trump: ~35%
Updated
at 3.33pm GMT
3.18pm GMT
15:18
Reid: Trump is the Republicans' Frankenstein
[Yes pedants, he means Frankenstein’s monster.]
Here’s quite a scene on the Senate floor. Minority leader Harry Reid says Republicans spent “eight years laying the ground work for the rise of Donald Trump. The reality is that Republican leaders are reaping what they’ve sown.”
“The Republican establishment acts like it is surprised by Donald Trump and his victories around the country. They feign outrage that a demagogue spewing vile... is somehow winning in a party that has spent years telling immigrants they’re not welcome in America. They act surprised that Republican voters are flocking to a birther candidate even as Republican congressional leaders continue to support a man who refuses to distance himself from the Ku Klux Klan...”
.@senatorreid on @realdonaldtrump: "It's time for Republicans to stop the Frankenstein they created." https://t.co/wtwILEbe9a
Trump said repeatedly last night that he disavows the support of former KKK leader David Duke.
"The Republican Party condemns racism in all its forms""Will you guys restore the Voting Rights Act?""Hang on my earpiece is broken"
Updated
at 3.25pm GMT
3.05pm GMT
15:05
Black voters provide big boost to Clinton
Hillary Clinton lost Oklahoma to Bernie Sanders by 10 points last night – and fell even further short of the share of the vote she got in the state back in 2008, during her losing race against Barack Obama.
But in the southern states of Virginia and Alabama, Clinton improved enormously on her 2008 performance, pointing up the power of the African American vote for her this time around and the power of the same support for Obama last time.
Last night, Clinton’s margin over Sanders among African American voters in Alabama was an amazing 92-6, and in Virginia it was 84-16.
(h/t: @kenandavis)
1.58pm GMT
13:58
Hello and welcome to our live-wire coverage of the 2016 race for the White House. With Super Tuesday behind us, both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton appear to be extremely strong contenders for their parties’ respective nominations – but the race isn’t over yet.
A large and thorough Ted Cruz win in his home state of Texas kept him in contention in the delegate race, and a couple of bonus wins in Oklahoma and Alaska will bolster his case that he is the most viable anti-Trump candidate on the landscape. (Visit our comprehensive results page here.)
Bernie Sanders won in four states, meanwhile, stopping Clinton from running away with the nomination even as he fell further and further behind in the delegate count.
The latest delegate count, as tallied by the Associated Press:
Trump has amassed 285 delegates, Ted Cruz 161, and Marco Rubio, 87. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the GOP nomination.
On the Democratic side, Clinton had at least 1,005 delegates, Sanders 373. It takes 2,383 Democratic delegates to win.
The candidate who looks to have the most difficult sell to make is Florida senator Marco Rubio, whose Minnesota win last night seems underwhelming in light of morning, who has about half the delegates Cruz does, and who failed to demonstrate that he is the preference of voters in places like Virginia, with its strong presence of the party establishment and cross-section of Republican voters as a whole.
Clinton capitalized enormously on support from African American voters, who gave her 60- to 80-point margins over Sanders throughout the south.
Related: 10 things we learned from Super Tuesday
While the nominations aren’t cinched, it was clear on Tuesday night that the general election campaign had begun. In a victory speech, Clinton said the challenge was not to make America great again but to “make America whole again”.
“She wants to make America whole again,” Trump retorted in a speech of his own. “I’m trying to figure out what is that all about.”
Related: Donald Trump marches on as Hillary Clinton sweeps south on Super Tuesday
New Jersey governor Chris Christie, whose constituents are asking him to resign and who has emerged as Trump’s top caddie, raised concerns on the internet last night by the look of doom on his face as he stood behind Trump during the winner’s speech.
Related: Chris Christie draws ridicule over transformation into Trump's stooge
Trump Your Enthusiasm pic.twitter.com/cPeweKwgVD
Can Chris Christie hold up a copy of a newspaper so that we know the hostage video was taken recently?
