Trump talks foreign policy; Cruz taps running mate

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

With the general election in his sights, Republican Donald Trump delivered a sober foreign policy address Wednesday aimed at easing fears about his temperament and readiness to be commander in chief. Rival Ted Cruz made a desperate attempt to jolt the GOP race by tapping Carly Fiorina as his running mate.

Both moves underscored Trump’s commanding position in the GOP race. Though the businessman must keep winning primaries in order to clinch the nomination before this summer’s national convention – he needs 48 percent of delegates still up for grabs – he has breathing room to start making overtures to general-election voters. All Cruz can do is throw obstacles in his path.

Cruz announced Fiorina as his vice-presidential pick during a rally in Indiana, a state he must win next week in order to keep his White House hopes alive. He cast the unusual announcement as a way to give voters confidence in their choice if they vote for him.

“You deserve to know exactly where a candidate stands,” he said.

Fiorina immediately went after Trump and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, embracing the aggressive role of a No. 2 on the White House ticket. She cast Trump and Clinton as a pair of liberals who would do little to shake up Washington.

“They’re not going to challenge the system – they are the system,” Fiorina said.

Trump mocked Cruz at a rally in Indianapolis Wednesday night, saying, “Cruz can’t win; what’s he doing picking vice presidents?”

“He is the first presidential candidate in the history of this country who’s mathematically eliminated from becoming president who chose a vice presidential candidate,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign said Wednesday it plans to lay off hundreds of field staffers and other aides, even as the Democratic candidate promises to keep running against Hillary Clinton through the June primaries and into the Philadelphia convention.

A day after losing four out of five Northeastern primaries, spokesman Michael Briggs said the Sanders campaign was making the cuts as it shifts its focus to the California primary June 7. The campaign will have gone from a staff of more than 1,000 in January to about 325-350, Briggs said.