Establishment warming up to him, Trump says

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Thursday the Republican establishment is “warming up” to his candidacy as he ramped up his attacks against his chief rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

“I think they’re warming up. I want to be honest – I have received so many phone calls from people that you would call establishment, from people – generally speaking ... conservatives, Republicans – that want to come onto our team,” Trump told reporters in Las Vegas before an appearance at the Outdoor Sportsman Awards.

“We are getting calls from everybody that it’s actually amazing. I’m actually surprised,” he added. He declined to provide names.

The comments came not long after the conservative magazine National Review published its latest issue online featuring a collection of scathing anti-Trump essays from noted conservatives, underscoring the deep resistance that remains to his unorthodox candidacy, despite his commanding lead in early polls.

Trump responded by calling it “a dying paper” out for publicity.