Trump calls on Kasich to quit race: ‘He’s taking my votes’

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE

Donald Trump on Sunday called for John Kasich to drop out of the Republican presidential race, arguing that the Ohio governor shouldn’t be allowed to continue accumulating delegates if he has no chance of becoming the nominee.

Working to recover his edge after a difficult week, Trump said it wasn’t fair for Kasich, who has won only his home state, to continue his campaign. He suggested instead that Kasich, who has pledged to make it to the summer convention, follow the example of Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush – candidates who quit after lagging behind.

“He doesn’t have to run and take my votes,” he said.

Trump said Kasich could ask to be considered at the GOP convention in Cleveland in July even without competing in the remaining nominating contests. He added that he had relayed his concerns to Republican National Committee officials at a meeting in Washington this past week.

“I said, ‘Why is a guy allowed to run?’ All he’s doing is just he goes from place to place and loses,” Trump told reporters at Miss Katie’s Diner in Milwaukee, where he stopped for breakfast. The state holds its presidential primaries Tuesday.

Kasich’s campaign tried to flip the script, contending that neither Trump nor Texas Sen. Ted Cruz would have enough delegates to win the nomination outright going into the Cleveland.

“Since he thinks it’s such a good idea, we look forward to Trump dropping out before the convention,” said Kasich spokesman Chris Schrimpf.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that she had yet to receive a request from the FBI for an interview regarding the private email system she used as secretary of state. And during a series of stops at Brooklyn church services, she got in a dig at her Democratic opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has identified as an independent for most of his career.

“I know we have to have a Democrat succeed Barack Obama,” Clinton said.

Clinton and Sanders announced they’d agreed to a debate in New York before the consequential April 19 primary, though the timing remained unclear. Sanders fired up a crowd in Wausau, Wis., hoping to continue his string of recent campaign victories even as Clinton maintains a sizable delegate lead.

Trump’s call for Kasich to bow out came as Republican concerns grew about the prospect of convention chaos if Trump fails to lock up his party’s nomination – or even if he does.

Behind Cruz in the polls in Wisconsin, Trump faces the prospect that a loss Tuesday will raise further doubts that he can net the needed delegates, making it far easier for his party to oust him in a floor fight at the convention.

Cruz, Trump’s closest challenger, has only a small chance to overtake him in the delegate hunt before the convention. He spent his afternoon rallying supporters in Wisconsin.

Kasich has acknowledged he cannot catch up in the delegate race, leaving a contested convention his only path to victory.

On the delegate front, North Dakota Republicans at their state convention selected 25 of their 28 national delegates on Sunday. North Dakota isn’t holding a primary or caucus in the 2016 race.