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| Donald Trump sweeps north-eastern primaries with wins in five states | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Donald Trump has taken another giant stride towards the Republican nomination with a clean sweep of victories in the five states up for grabs in Tuesday’s primary elections. | |
| The billionaire businessman appears to have fully regained the momentum against rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich as he claimed all of the north-eastern states of the ‘Acela primary’, named after the rail line which links them. | |
| The Associated Press called the first three races – Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut – for the frontrunner Trump moments after polls closed at 8pm. | |
| By 8.34pm, Rhode Island and Delaware had been added to wins column for the property magnate. | |
| Related: Could Donald Trump the actor win the election for Trump the candidate? | Jill Abramson | Related: Could Donald Trump the actor win the election for Trump the candidate? | Jill Abramson |
| But despite notching up more delegates and dominating the media agenda, Trump’s ultimate claim on the nomination remains far from certain and leaves little room for error. The final winning margins will be crucial in deciding whether he can reach the 1,237 delegates needed before the Republican convention in July. | But despite notching up more delegates and dominating the media agenda, Trump’s ultimate claim on the nomination remains far from certain and leaves little room for error. The final winning margins will be crucial in deciding whether he can reach the 1,237 delegates needed before the Republican convention in July. |
| Trump has already criticised the system in Pennsylvania, where the Republican winner is awarded 17 delegates, but 54 other delegates will be unbound and free to vote for any candidate at the convention. “It’s crazy,” he said of the voting rules. “The system is so complicated.” | Trump has already criticised the system in Pennsylvania, where the Republican winner is awarded 17 delegates, but 54 other delegates will be unbound and free to vote for any candidate at the convention. “It’s crazy,” he said of the voting rules. “The system is so complicated.” |
| Opinion polls had shown Trump leading in all five states - and his last remaining rivals had already moved on to later states where they desperately hope to halt his advance. Laura Seyler, a Republican in Pennsylvania, cast her vote for him, saying she believes he will “take the bat and straighten things out”. She told the Associated Press: “I don’t think he’s afraid, he doesn’t owe anybody anything, and I think he’s very much an American that loves his country, and he sees Americans suffering.” | |
| But as the endgame draws near, attention is already turning to Indiana’s primary next week. The Hoosier state has long been considered one of the key battlegrounds for anti-Trump forces as the statewide winner receives 30 delegates, the biggest single pot of delegates until June. | But as the endgame draws near, attention is already turning to Indiana’s primary next week. The Hoosier state has long been considered one of the key battlegrounds for anti-Trump forces as the statewide winner receives 30 delegates, the biggest single pot of delegates until June. |
| In attempt to stop Trump, Texas senator Cruz formed a pact with Kasich, in which the Ohio governor, who is currently polling in third place in Indiana, will devote no further resources to the state. | In attempt to stop Trump, Texas senator Cruz formed a pact with Kasich, in which the Ohio governor, who is currently polling in third place in Indiana, will devote no further resources to the state. |
| The goal of their pact is to stop Trump winning a majority of delegates, with the ambition of forcing a second ballot at the July convention in Cleveland, Ohio. At that point, delegates would be free to vote for other candidates and the Kasich campaign calculates that it would pick up the support of a number of Indiana delegates once they are no longer obligated by next week’s primary result. | The goal of their pact is to stop Trump winning a majority of delegates, with the ambition of forcing a second ballot at the July convention in Cleveland, Ohio. At that point, delegates would be free to vote for other candidates and the Kasich campaign calculates that it would pick up the support of a number of Indiana delegates once they are no longer obligated by next week’s primary result. |
| Cruz was quick to pull out of campaigning in Tuesday’s primaries and focus all his energy on Indiana. In contrast, Kasich had spent time hoping to pick up delegates in states like Rhode Island, and in several congressional districts in Maryland that border Washington DC. | Cruz was quick to pull out of campaigning in Tuesday’s primaries and focus all his energy on Indiana. In contrast, Kasich had spent time hoping to pick up delegates in states like Rhode Island, and in several congressional districts in Maryland that border Washington DC. |
| Trump has dismissed his rivals’ strategy as “pathetic” and the latest example of what he describes as a rigged political system. Former candidate Ben Carson, now a Trump supporter, added on Fox News: “The people have sort of risen up and they’ve said we don’t want all this stuff that is going on, all this intricate, backroom stuff.” | Trump has dismissed his rivals’ strategy as “pathetic” and the latest example of what he describes as a rigged political system. Former candidate Ben Carson, now a Trump supporter, added on Fox News: “The people have sort of risen up and they’ve said we don’t want all this stuff that is going on, all this intricate, backroom stuff.” |
| Speaking before polls closed in the five states voting on Tuesday, Cruz took the stage in the gym where the underdog sports movie Hoosiers was filmed to slam both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as peas in the establishment pod. | Speaking before polls closed in the five states voting on Tuesday, Cruz took the stage in the gym where the underdog sports movie Hoosiers was filmed to slam both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as peas in the establishment pod. |
| The Texas senator pre-emptively conceded, saying “tonight Donald Trump is expected to have a good night”, but expressed his hope that the race was moving on to “more favorable terrain” with the Hoosier State’s primary next week. | The Texas senator pre-emptively conceded, saying “tonight Donald Trump is expected to have a good night”, but expressed his hope that the race was moving on to “more favorable terrain” with the Hoosier State’s primary next week. |
| Related: Trump and Clinton hope for resounding victories in north-east primaries – campaign live | Related: Trump and Clinton hope for resounding victories in north-east primaries – campaign live |
| Cruz went on to try to tie his top Republican rival to the likely Democratic nominee. He jibed that Clinton might pick Trump as a running mate because they are both New York liberals who agreed on 13 listed policy issues, including that “grown men should use the little girl’s restroom”, a reference to the controversial HB2 measure recently passed in North Carolina, which overturns local laws banning discrimination against transgender individuals. | Cruz went on to try to tie his top Republican rival to the likely Democratic nominee. He jibed that Clinton might pick Trump as a running mate because they are both New York liberals who agreed on 13 listed policy issues, including that “grown men should use the little girl’s restroom”, a reference to the controversial HB2 measure recently passed in North Carolina, which overturns local laws banning discrimination against transgender individuals. |
| The Texas senator, though, embraced what he saw as his current role as the underdog in the race, even having his bodyman re-enact a scene from the movie to demonstrate the basket was the same height in Indiana as it was in New York City. This was a reference to a scene where the underdog high school coach, played by Gene Hackman, inspired his team to victory on the eve of a game against a heavily favored opponent. | The Texas senator, though, embraced what he saw as his current role as the underdog in the race, even having his bodyman re-enact a scene from the movie to demonstrate the basket was the same height in Indiana as it was in New York City. This was a reference to a scene where the underdog high school coach, played by Gene Hackman, inspired his team to victory on the eve of a game against a heavily favored opponent. |
| The wider Republican intrigue as Cruz and Kasich plot to foil Trump is matched by drama within the Trump campaign. As the frontrunner has edged closer to the nomination, the introduction of veteran Washington operative Paul Manafort to his inner circle has triggered a civil war within his camp. | The wider Republican intrigue as Cruz and Kasich plot to foil Trump is matched by drama within the Trump campaign. As the frontrunner has edged closer to the nomination, the introduction of veteran Washington operative Paul Manafort to his inner circle has triggered a civil war within his camp. |
| Manafort, who has brought in a number of other seasoned Washington operatives, has pushed Trump to be a more traditional candidate who makes fewer controversial remarks and runs a campaign that features extensive television advertising and polling. | Manafort, who has brought in a number of other seasoned Washington operatives, has pushed Trump to be a more traditional candidate who makes fewer controversial remarks and runs a campaign that features extensive television advertising and polling. |
| In contrast, longtime campaign manager Corey Lewandowski has pushed to “let Trump be Trump”. The resulting conflict between the two for the Republican frontrunner’s ear has seen Trump schedule a foreign policy speech one day and make fun of how Kasich eats the next. | In contrast, longtime campaign manager Corey Lewandowski has pushed to “let Trump be Trump”. The resulting conflict between the two for the Republican frontrunner’s ear has seen Trump schedule a foreign policy speech one day and make fun of how Kasich eats the next. |
| Trump was due to offer his verdict on Tuesday’s results at Trump Tower then make his foreign policy speech in Washington on Wednesday as he bids to show the wider world that he can be discuss foreign policy in fully formed paragraphs. | Trump was due to offer his verdict on Tuesday’s results at Trump Tower then make his foreign policy speech in Washington on Wednesday as he bids to show the wider world that he can be discuss foreign policy in fully formed paragraphs. |